Finding the Way to Forever
by Destinies Entwined
Summary: Spoilers through Chapter 58. With everything they have been through, the struggle between what they want and what is right is evident. Hiyori's been reflecting on what it means to be tied by the red string of fate. Yato can't live without her in his life, yet needs to protect her. How does a vagrant minor god grant the wish of "forever"? Rated for future chapters.
1. Throwing Caution to the Wind

I have been toying with idea since last summer. Originally started out as a Post-Capypaland (post-chapter 42) fic, I decided to incorporate it into my "Lovely goddess" theory. Because that is the best _feasible_ outcome possible. Look at Tenjin, guys. He was a human once, too (Sugawara no Michizane, If my memory serves me right). That and I _refuse_ to let Hiyori go the way of "shinki" unless it was a last resort to save her soul. No way. Not happening here. We all saw what happened to Sakura and Tsuguha.

This story may take a while. But I promise to make it worth it.

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Chapter 1: Throwing Caution to the Wind

Hiyori stared down at the intimate apparel lying on her comforter. It was pink with black polka dots, bearing a small capyper on the right cup of the brassiere. A few months prior, she had shoved it into the back of her dresser out of embarrassment. Then it got left behind in the chaos that ensued shortly thereafter. But now she was home, and had gone through her things, just to rediscover the gift Yato had given her and suddenly see it with a newfound curiosity. Her mind swirled with various recollections of the last few months, and the emotions they evoked within her.

The brunette stared down at the seemingly inappropriate gift. She fought the urge to pace her room, as she felt incredibly restless and uncomfortable in her own skin. With an exasperated sigh, Hiyori unceremoniously plopped onto her bed beside the offending garment. Her head came to rest in her tense grasp as she resumed mulling over their day at CapyperLand: The "Marry Me, Hiyori!" sign in the picture from the flume ride that nearly killed them; Yato's adamant wish to have fun and watch the parade _specifically_ with _her;_ and most surprisingly, her ultimate refusal to leave his side, despite her misgivings and discomfort brought on by unwanted memories of her first trip to CapypaLand. For on _that_ day, she had been on the verge of forgetting Yato and Yukine. Something she still felt guilty about.

 _All I could remember is that there was someone I desperately wanted to be there with._

The image of Fujisaki closing in for the kiss was suddenly replaced with Yato's face. She sucked in a sharp breath, as her own subconcious mind bubbled to the surface. Quickly the scene changed to her reaching for her despondant deity.

 _"To tell you the truth, I wanted to come here with you, too!"_

The words had just slipped out, her purest of intention revealing itself just as it had at other times before. She hadn't even realized that Yukine snapped a picture of them talking until later. Reaching over to the camera on her desk, she retrieved the image that had been branded into her mind's eye. She stared at that particular photograph for a moment, recalling her confession.

 _"I want to stay with you a little longer..."_

Pensive violet eyes pondered further as she put the camera in her lap and thought about some of the things Yato had said to her since then: about being able to talk to him about anything; about wanting to know about all the guys in her life; and how he wants to believe her words when she says she wants to stay with him. Hiyori also recalled a few times when Yato got a little too overprotective about other guys in her life. Baseball bats, Sekki and stalking all part of his threats.

 _Could he be...?_

She thought back to when Yato had come over, freaking out about Fujisaki, who she now knew to be his 'father', and the kiss he had stolen from her. Even in her half-naked state of undress, she had already realized who it was she had momentarily wished had taken her first kiss, yet couldn't kick him out right away. All she could do was shoot back a groundless rebuttal about him 'kissing' Bishamon, even though she knew full well it hadn't been and _actual_ kiss.

 _Jealous...?_

As much as it made her squirm, she couldn't stop thinking about it. She picked up her camera once again, unable leave it alone for very long, to look at the same picture for the hundredth time. Vividly, she remembered how she had reached out and grabbed Yato's hand, pleading with him.

Never wanting to let go.

Her thoughts wandered to the two plaques tied together with heavenly red strings. Her face and Yato's, their fates interwined by will of the gods themselves. A blush tinted her cheeks.

 _At least by Kofuku, anyway..._ She shook her head in disbelief. _Nothing could truly separate us except for Yato actually cutting our ties._

It was then that the biggest question hit her like a freight train:

 _Our ties...Why can't I bring myself to cut my ties with him? Why do I want to stay with him so badly, even if it could cost me my LIFE?_

Hiyori admitted to herself that she was indeed drawn to him. And the idea actually made her nervous. Yatogami was equal parts endearing, tenacious, loyal, naive and overbearing. So the rosy-eyed girl went back to the beginning, recalling her first memories of Yato.

 _His eyes..._

A shiver went down her spine, followed by warmth in her face. They had been the very first thing to catch her attention as she walked down the sidewalk that fateful day. Her physical attraction to him coming to light for the first time as she held her breath, heart racing. She was captivated by his eyes, and his soft shaggy indigo mane. More recently she had begun to notice that he was always very warm, with every hug he gave her.

 _He_ is _beautiful...like the waters of the South Pacific underneath a moonlit sky._

Suddenly the sensation of Yato laying limp, draped over her body on the side of the road, came back to mind. Her breath went short, as if his weight were bearing on her in that moment. Her eyes slid shut, and the memory of holding him to her, fingers weaving into those soft dark strands, came rolling over her along with the relief and joy of having him back after more than a month.

 _I didn't want to let him go..._

She wiped a stray tear from the corner of her eye, as all of those heavy emotions of struggle and resolution hit her.

 _He is noble and caring_ , Hiyori pointed out to herself. Flashes came to mind of the numerous times he had saved her and carried her when her body was too exhausted from being separated from her soul. _...And he loves animals and children. For someone so strong, with a dark and violent past...he's a big softy. He's passionate about being a god of fortune, and doing good for others._

 _Yato really would do anything for me._ A smile formed on her lips as she ran a finger over the minimal garments.

 _But then again, I would do anything for him._

It was at that moment that the realization washed over her. Hiyori's eyes widened, transfixed on the brassiere in her hand, as her body tingled all over as her heart raced. She knew the answer to her questions loud and clear, but didn't dare utter the words that repeated themselves, ringing in her ears.

Everything Daikoku had said the day after their CapypaLand visit echoed back at her.

 _"The poor guy just doesn't know any better...the right way to cherish someone who's precious to him."_

 _I'm...'precious' to him?_

Yato's nonchalant retort reverberated, _"You baka, of course you're my number one."_

 _I'm his number one...?_

She needed to know. Hiyori's stomach was already unsettled, but the idea that Yato might have feelings for her, too, made her ever more nervous with excitement. Now, that she had figured out why she felt so incredibly happy, nervous and confused around him all the time, she needed to know if he was hiding his feelings from her.

Daikoku had said that Yato was merely clueless as how to handle emotions.

 _Knowing him, that could be entirely true. But apparently, I'm not much better._

It was getting dark out, and she knew he would be up still. So, before her thoughts got carried away, she stopped to figure out a way to catch his attention and get him to talk to her.

After a refreshing bath, she tried on the bra and panties. They fit perfectly, leaving her bemused as to how he could possibly know her underwear size, hoping he was merely an amazing guesser. The nervous girl put a pair of lavender sleep shorts and a white camisole over them, then quickly grabbed her phone, logging onto her Twitter.

Hiyori secretly wondered if he would even notice, wracking her nerves further with anticipation. She smiled at her image in her full length mirror before heading onto her Twitter homepage.

Her vague message was just enough to spark curiosity:

"Loves the present Yatogami got her. #Capyper is cuter than I thought! ^_^"

Barely ten seconds after she put her phone back down, her phone rang. Hiyori looked at the caller's name and her heart leapt into her throat.

 _This is it._ Hiyori swallowed hard before answering the call.

"Yato? What's up?" She asked coyly.

"Hiyori, you're home, right?" The deity asked with obvious haste. Hiyori had to fight to keep the anxiousness from seeping into her voice.

"Yeah, why?"

Suddenly there was a knock at her window, making her shut her phone with a snap as she jumped.

Hiyori leaned over her bed and pushed open her window. In jumped Yato through the curtains, landing away from her. Her ayakashi half's heightened sensitivity to smell zoned right in on the god's attractive scent. Earthy, sweet, and slightly musky like an old temple alight with incense, it amplified the newfound affections she was wrestling with.

"I saw your Tweet, and I wanted to let you kn-"

He stopped short as he turned to face Hiyori, realizing how short her shorts were, leaving practically all of her slender legs exposed, and that he could actually see his gift faintly through her camisole. Only a brief moment passed before Yato caught himself and his eyes shot to hers as he attempted to hide his shock by playing it casual. But that brief second or two did not go unnoticed by the newly enlightened teenager.

"I wanted to let you know..." Yato restarted, swallowing hard. "...that I was glad to finally hear that you liked it," he finished smoothly. He was finding it particularly warm in her room all of a sudden. "You never said anything when I gave it to you."

"I _do_ like it," she admitted with a blush, her tone remaining somewhat serious as she thumbed the black strap at her shoulder. "I'm sorry I never thanked you for it...but to be honest, I kinda thought you were being a perv at the time."

"Well, I just thought you'd want something girly that would remind you of our day in the park," he mumbled, pouting slightly and looking down at his feet.

 _Is it getting warmer in here?_ The god thought as he pulled at his tattered scarf.

"Really? Because underwear is the sort of gift guys usually buy for their girlfriends and wives," Hiyori retorted, feeling more confident in digging a little deeper. "Because they want to _see_ them in it."

Yato choked on himself. He wanted to admit aloud that he had originally bought the gift with good intentions. But night after night, he dreamed about Hiyori in different ways. At one point she had been _his_ goddess, and dreamt that he'd kissed her. The other night he _had_ envisioned her in her new present, waking up in a sweat, unable to shake the odd feeling that had overtaken him. His once-pure intentions had gradually been tainted by these new

And now, his tongue felt stuck.

"I-I..."

"Listen, Yato. Since our trip to CapypaLand, you have been acting differently toward me...and saying some unusual things to me. And I've done some thinking," she interrupted the god, much to his relief. "I have asked myself some really important questions."

"Questions?" he asked, curious as to her even, yet soft tone.

"Yes, and I need you to answer the same ones that I've asked myself," the half-phantom replied, covering her heart with her hand.

Yato felt suddenly uneasy about what she could possibly be asking him. With a gulp, he nodded his consent. Hiyori exhaled heavily and paused to gather her thoughts.

"To start, Yato, I need to know. In what way am I your 'Number One'?" she asked, point blank.

He jaw went slack, mouth agape. He wanted to speak, but all the memories, moments carrying the various reasons why he couldn't imagine his existence without her, inundated him in waves.

She had saved him countless times, from their very first meeting. Those eyes like sakura, shed countless tears for him. Hiyori was the only one who ever insisted on never forgetting him. Most importantly as his follower, Hiyori had made him his own shrine. Supporting him in his positive pursuits and trying to be his voice of reason when he strays from his objectives, Hiyori insists on being by his side, refusing to cut their ties. He couldn't protest.

Trying to envision her _not_ by her side caused his chest to tighten. It was impossible.

 _Why? Because she's faithful and caring...She makes me feel l-_

There was a long tense silence as Hiyori stayed fixated on his gaze, wide blue eyes much a kin to a deer in headlights. Yato looked panicked.

Yato knew better: It was taboo for gods and humans to get involved. It never could end well, historically speaking. He even told her as much when he nearly lost her to her inner demons not so long ago. 'Forever' was one wish he couldn't grant right now. But oh how had secretly been wishing for the same thing. And now, his ties to her were so intricately bound. Yato had been taken aback when he noticed them recently, by how fate had so tightly knotted them together.

They had both changed so much because of the other. If he were to cut them, neither of them would ever be the same.

His gaze fell to the small expanse of carpet between them.

 _She's my..._ The words building up like a dammed river, about to crumble under the weight of a deluge. With a deep breath, he loosed his tongue, lest his heart explode.

"Everything..." he said softly as a sigh followed, putting the truth out into the cosmos. After a small, hesitant pause, he finally found the courage to look Hiyori in the eyes again. "In _every_ way, Hiyori."

The blantant truth and emotion in his words made her feel suddenly exposed. The wall which existed, made of all that had been unspoken, had just been utterly demolished with a single word. The ball was in her court. Her sweet and noble god had manifested everything she had been grappling with for months. She blinked at him, shocked that he had just come out with it, as she tried to process the reality of what was transpiring.

Those oceans of emotion fixed on her as the determined deity stepped into her personal space and gently grasped her upper arms.

"I can't help how I feel. Like every time you tell me you want to be with me and stay with me forever..." Yato hesitated as he wrestled with the constant truth of her humanity. "I..." The words wouldn't move past the lump that had formed in his throat. "I want that, too...but I don't know how to make 'forever' happen. I don't know if there even _is_ a way. And even if there was a way, I don't know if I could ever take you from the precious life you have been given. There's no way I could do that to you at this point in your life. You have barely lived."

Hiyori absorbed his words and feelings. _He has the same wish that I do._

"Yato...I..." She drifted off, tears welling quietly in her eyes. "I'm so glad. Thank you for telling me that."

Reaching up, she gently brushed strands of his dark hair that had fallen from his ponytail back behind his ears.

"I wasn't sure of my own feelings, nor yours, for quite awhile," she admitted. "But now I know...For sure."

Yato's eyes glistened with hope, confusion and conflict. But the bright rosy color of his face gave it all away as she rose up on her toes, so incredibly close, face-to-face.

"I..." She searched his eyes. "l _love_ you, Yato."

Those beautiful pools watered with joy. It was overwhelming: the pure happiness of knowing he was truly loved for the first time in his many centuries. It was just as intense as how he felt the day this beautiful soul gave him his very own shrine.

Hiyori watched as tears streamed down his face. She lowered herself back down from her tip-toe and stepped into the former megatsukami's arms, who wrapped himself tightly around her.

He hadn't wanted to go there so soon. All his strong feelings for Hiyori, he knew they were unspeakable in the community of immortals. A god and a human, in love? Surely it couldn't be the first time in history that this has happened.

A human half-spirit, who was the savior of gods herself! She was friend, helper and mediator of the gods: Not only himself, but Kofuku, Bishamonten, Ebisu, Tenjin... she risked her humanity constantly for the deities and their shinkis.

In the moment, as all was laid bare, Yato allowed his vision to relax as to view their bonds as he held her.

Red coiled tightly around his arms, legs and midriff as well as hers, tangling itself in their hair and around their necks. This was their fates: wrapped up in each other. He suddenly felt that there _had_ to be a way to ensure eternity. And he would make good on that promise, because their destiny demanded it.

His eyes slid closed as he buried his face in her hair, his tears falling into her long locks as he exhaled. There was no more denying it.

"I love you, too, Hiyori."

Her lithe arms slipped around his waist and reciprocated the warm, emotional embrace. For the second time ever, she was able to revel in their closeness. His immortal essence overtaking her senses, she buried her face in his jersey, his head still resting atop hers. A small sigh escaped her lips as they relaxed into each other. A long minute had passed before Yato's tears slowed and he was ready to face her.

Hiyori looked up at him, and gently ran her thumb under his eyes, wiping away the last traces of moisture. She ran her hand softly down the side of his face, marveling at the smoothness of his skin.

Her curiosity was endearing, and it sparked something in him, reminding him of so many recent dreams. This was his chance.

He leaned in close to her face, mimicking what Hiyori had done before. This time, despite the blushes, they knew.

They _wanted_.

The dark-haired deity cautiously closed the gap, lips brushing, melding under a gentle pressure. Breathing her in, the scent of vanilla and soft floral invaded his nostrils.

Hiyori responded by increasing the pressure ever so slightly and choosing to pay special attention to his top lip, while her bottom lip nestled in his. She inhaled and thought to herself.

 _He tastes as good as he smells..._

He pulled away slightly, looking her in the eyes. She smiled sweetly as her eyes flickered to his mouth and back, giving little pause before leaning into him for another. Yato was a tad surprised by this, but happily obliged her a series of soft, tender kisses.

Afterwards, he once again pulled back and smiled softly at his number one girl.

"For all the times I wanted to kiss you, and didn't."

[BREAK]


	2. The Tangled Web of Destinies Entwined

**Note: Hey everyone! Thank you for your patience! Like I had mentioned in Chapter 1 this story will take a while. Thanks for understanding.**

 **I am a believer in the Tsukuyomi Theory and will indeed be incorporating that into this story. Although this story is more "T" rated right now, I gave it an "M" from the start because down the road you'll get a taste of what I do best. *ahem* see ref: any of my other M-rated stuff.**

 **I love hearing your feedback, about both what you liked and even any mistakes you think I've made. Both Cheers and Constructive Criticisms help writers grow.**

 **BTW:"megatsukami" = "god of calamity"; "Takamagahara" = Shinto's version of 'Heaven' or 'Mount Olympus' where the gods live; and "Oi!" = "Hey!" You've got to understand I study Japanese. I watch in Japanese. That shit just permeates your brain after watching it a dozen times, so it's slips in there.**

 **Now have 5.4k of Yatori fluff and angst. With a dash of Kofuku. Always Kofuku.**

 **Ja Ne! ^_^**

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 **Chapter 2: "The Tangled Web of Destinies Entwined"**

Violet eyes fluttered open to the warm morning light. She lay still as the memory of their exchange came back to her in a flash. A small smile crept onto her face as she blushed and buried her face in the pillow, going over the events of the previous evening:

It had gotten late, as it was already after dinner when Yato had come over, and Hiyori needed get some rest.

 _"Can I...stay with you?" He had asked with hopeful hesitation. "J-just until you fall asleep?"_

Before she could respond, the quirky god had crawled onto the other side of the bed behind her.

 _"Yato!" She began to protest. "What do you think-?"_

She stopped herself mid-query, when she saw the confused and hurt look in his eyes.

 _"I just...I thought..." His eyes dropped to the comforter on her bed as a blush painted his face, fighting with his words. "I've never had someone to cuddle before. Not like this."_

Something in Hiyori's heart burst. This god, who had seen centuries of bloody terror and death, just wanted to _cuddle_. She patted the comforter beside her and he lay innocently on top of the blankets as she enveloped herself within them, leaving her arm outside of the cocoon. Yato spooned up to her, nuzzling her hair as he wrapped one arm around her. Taking her hand, their fingers entwined. He tucked the other arm under the pillow, getting cozy. The warmth, coupled with the god's unique and enrapturing scent, sent Hiyori swiftly into dreamland.

Even Yato himself had dozed off for a bit, caught up in that new-found closeness that felt like heaven itself, when his cell phone rang. Quickly, he had fumbled his way to silence the ringer and check the Caller ID. Hiyori rustled slightly having been woken and mumbled the word, _"Noisy."_

 _"Looks like I have a job. I've gotta go get Yukine," Yato said quietly to a half-awake Hiyori, leaning in to give her a soft peck on her warm cheek. "See you tomorrow."_

And on that note, the blue-eyed boy slipped on his boots and disappeared in a flash, leaving Hiyori to quickly slip back into slumber.

 _Now what?_ Hiyori wondered as she stretched from head to toe, soaking in the sunshine of the new day flooding in through her bedroom window.

When she looked at her phone, she found her answer. There was a text from Yato.

 _"Good morning! ;-* Job went well last night. Wish I didn't have to go...but can we talk more later? Haven't told anyone yet, even Yukine. Let's keep this hush-hush until we figure out what to do, OK? See you when you when you get out of class. I'll be waiting in the usual place."_

 _Yukine_ , she thought. _How is he going to handle this?_

With a sigh, she got up and began her day.

It was hard to concentrate in class. The teacher called on her during algebra, and she solved the wrong problem. During English class, she translated the wrong page.

 _Mou, what's wrong with me? Focus, Iki Hiyori!_

Yama saw Hiyori slap her cheeks in attempt to snap herself back into the right frame of mind. Leaning over she whispered to her distracted friend.

"Oi, what's up with you today? You're totally not with it!" she pointed out, eliciting a blush on her flighty friend's already agitated cheeks.

"I'll tell you later, Yama," she whispered her reply. It seemed to satisfy her curious pal. At least enough to hold her off from pressing further.

Intermittently, thoughts of Yato's kiss, ponderances of the possible future, and the overwhelming dilemma of a romantic relationship between mortal and immortal beings interrupted her mission to salvage her air of scholarly competence. The bell could not have rang soon enough.

"So what's go-?" Yama started instantly.

"I'm sorry, Yama. It will have to wait," she interrupted, pretending to check her phone. "I forgot that I've got to get back home right away today. I'll call you later, okay?"

The little white lie was just enough to get her out of the hot seat and out the door. She hustled as hard as she could without breaking into a run to get to her locker. It was probably the fastest she had ever made it out to the gate.

And there he was, his sunny smile holding a softer nuance that she had never seen before.

"Hiyoriii!" He called with a wave.

She trotted over to him, returning the smile. It felt good just to be in his presence. The two of them were ahead of the fray, so they made their way to the shrine grounds where Kofuku and Daikoku's place was.

"Daikoku took Yukine out to get groceries, but Kofuku is home," he explained. "And I wanted to bring up some things and discuss them with her, as she and Daikoku have been together for a couple centuries. Maybe she would have some insight."

"Insight?" she asked, her rosy gaze meeting his. He stopped and took her by the hand.

"Listen, Hiyori..." he began, trailing off as he collected his thoughts. " _This_...you and me... _together?_ It's not an easy path. I mean, I've lived _centuries_. I'm practically immortal, and you..."

"I'm going to live less than a century," she interjected, finishing his thought. "I'm going to grow old and..."

 _...And die._

The reminder that Yato would live on centuries beyond her, carrying the weight of losing her, hit her hard. A gasp escaped her lips as she looked, horrified as she recalled Fujisaki's words that day in the hallway as he spoke of living 'tens of hundreds of years.'

 _"But by that time, there will be no Iki Hiyori."_

Yato knew she had made the connection between their lifespans, and how a relationship would be problematic. He squeezed her hand empathetically.

"Yeah, but," Hiyori spoke up. "Kofuku-san tied our plaques together at the gathering in Takamagahara. So, that must count for _something!_ "

Yato just stared at her for a second, processing what he'd just heard.

"She _WHAT?!"_ he exclaimed, before swearing under his breath and taking off with a start, dragging Hiyori along with him.

Up the walkway they bolted, Yato leapt onto the porch and slammed the shoji door open.

"Kofukuuu!" the infuriated deity called as he scanned the room, spotting the open door to the kitchen. "Get your ass out here, Kofuku!"

Hiyori couldn't understand what had suddenly gotten into him. She grabbed his sleeve trying to stop him for a moment.

"Yato! What's wrong? Why are you so mad all of a sudden?" she begged, desperate for answers.

"Hiyori, if there is _anyone_ in all of Takamagahara that should _not_ be tying people's fates together it's a god of _poverty_ ," he tried to explain. "Especially Kof-"

"You called, Yato-chan?" Kofuku chimed, poking her head in the doorway.

He thrust an angry finger in her direction.

"Did you tie Hiyori's plaque to mine behind my back?"

The cheery goddess froze, her her smile cooling as she looked between her two friends.

"Maybe?" she admitted half-heartedly, a guilty wince accompanying her unconvincing shrug.

Yato gave Hiyori a strained look and gestured toward the table with an exasperated sigh. All three sat in silence a moment.

"You know what that means, right, Kofuku?" Yato asked the binbogami rhetorically. "You are a harbinger of bad luck! Why would you do that to us?"

Kofuku had been hoping no one would realize what she had done. But somehow Yato had found out. The only person who had seen her tie the plaques had been... _her._ The disastrous deity turned to her human friend.

"Hiyorin, did you tell Yato about the plaques?" she asked, a hint of guilt marking her question. When Hiyori nodded, she knew she had to spill the beans. She looked at her long-time partner in mischief and mayhem. "Yato-chan, before you yell at me any further, please let me say that I love you two. I have always known how much you mean to each other. And I've been cheering you on from the sidelines."

Yato knew that her intentions had been good. Good, but reckless. And it could cost one or both of them their lives.

"Well, Kofuku," he said humbly, "as much as I didn't want your interference...It seems you are getting your wish." He caught the goddess's shock as he gave her a glance before turning to Hiyori and taking her hand. "Hiyori and I had talked last night..."

"I love Yato, Kofuku-san!" the brunette blurted out.

Kofuku's jaw dropped, not knowing whether to hug Hiyori or cry, ultimately choosing neither to let the girl finish her thought.

"I know it's not an auspicious match, a god and a human, but...but-"

"She wished to be together forever a while ago," Yato reminded the goddess. "It may be a difficult path for both of us, but," Yato looked from the love of his life to his best friend, "I have decided to find a way to grant her - _our-_ wish."

"But I've gone and probably messed things up, haven't I?" Kofuku began to whine. "I'm so sorry, Yato-chan, Hiyorin! I couldn't stand to see Yato upset over you ending up with all those other awful guys. I just wanted to see you two happy together! WAHHH!"

After a moment, Kofuku wiped her face and saw Yato hand still clinging to Hiyori's.

"Kofuku, it's partly because you showed me what you did," the blushing girl explained, "that I was able to consider my feelings. I want to be by Yato's side more than anything else. It's been like that for a long time now."

The perky pink-haired poverty goddess launched herself over the table and hugged Hiyori, just like the day they first met.

"Hiiiyoriiiin! I _knew_ you were special! Yato found someone he doesn't _want_ live without. You, Yato and Yukine are like a little family! Wahhh! So _CUTE!_ "

She took an arm and pulled Yato into a group hug. After much giggling and smiles, they settled down over a cup of tea to discuss more serious matters.

"As we all know, I am generally still here because of my asshole dad. I don't want to be chained to him anymore. I made that clear a while ago, and I have started on my own path. So if I always have Hiyori, she can't forget me...but how?"

"Well..." Kofuku began, "There are three types of beings in the realm of the heavens: gods, regalias and familiars, with various rankings and forms of each." She paused a moment looking at Yato, then turning back to Hiyori. "We wouldn't want you to become a regalia, for sure."

"Because then I would forget my human life, right? I would surely forget Yato, totally negating the purpose of us wanting to be together. Never mind that my soul would be at high risk! So many citizens of the Far Shore know and have used my real name for so long," Hiyori expressed, showing her foreknowledge of the situation much to Kofuku's surprise.

Kofuku and Yato gawked at her a moment, realizing that someone must have actually _told_ a human about their greatest secret.

"How...? How could you know about that?" Yato asked, stunned. "I've never mentioned it, that's for sure!"

Hiyori went on to explain about the day she fell asleep next to Yato, and the dream she had about Sakura and the whole ordeal. Recalling the job that involved Tomone's daughter, she explained that she put two and two together, conveniently leaving out Tsuyu's involvement in her information as not to incriminate her.

As the two baffled gods absorbed her surprising account, Hiyori swore on her honor.

"I promise you both, I would never speak of it to anyone," she vowed, right hand raised. "But with that said...I know that ever making me a regalia is probably the worst idea."

The two resigned deities nodded. Nothing could be done. The girl was absolutely right.

"Could her spirit become a familiar?" Yato asked, pondering Tsuyu, the plum tree spirit that stood by Tenjin's side.

"Possibly," Kofuku replied pensively, her finger tapping her chin. "She would have to have her spirit permanently bound to you and separated from her body without going through the transformation of death. Hiyori would somehow have to retain her spirit form...and pledge to you of her own free will."

"So I'd have to 'die' without technically _dying?_ How would _that_ work?" Hiyori mused, totally puzzled by the conundrum.

"I don't know that is even possible, nor do I know the rules of having/creating a spirit familiar. Never had one before. Besides, you're a human spirit, and not a native spirit of nature. Never mind that you are already able to freely move between spirit and corpreal form, but..can a human spirit even become a familiar and _not_ a regalia? " Kofuku asked rhetorically, as she wondered aloud. "Tenjin and Okuninushi are the only two gods I know personally with familiars. We would have to ask them, but that would definitely make them suspicious."

"Well, we'll have to look into it because seriously...there's no way _I_ could become a _god_. That's impossible," she said, dismissing the last option.

Yato suddenly recalled a dream he had where Hiyori had been the deity who saved _him_.

"Or is it?" the thoughtful god finally uttered aloud. "We all know a few gods who were formerly human: most famously, Tenjin. Or should I say 'Sugawara-no-Michizane-sama?'"

They all sat for a quiet moment, considering the idea. As far fetched as the thought seemed, just the fact that it was _possible_ had created hope. Suddenly a light bulb went on in Yato's mind. The rebellious megatsukami had been questioning his father's 'humanity.' Father was powerful, no doubt about it... like a _god_. Yet somehow, Yato was born of one of _his_ wishes.

 _Is it actually possible for gods to create other gods from their own wishes?_

It hit Yato, for the first time, that maybe, just _maybe,_ Hiyori actually _could_ become his 'lovely goddess'. He blushed and swallowed hard. At first his ultimate dream was to have his own shrine, which Hiyori made reality. His second dream had become companionship. It was a newer dream, but a dream nonetheless, that had come to light after having a taste of what true friendship, companionship and love was like. And after centuries of isolation and cold relationships with an abusive 'family,' Yato finally believed himself to be worth more than a harbinger of death, used as a tool for calamity and strife.

He thought about Bishamon and Kazuma, and just how clueless the goddess was to the extent which Kazuma loved and cherished her. They could be like Kofuku and Daikoku, if only they could take that step. He thought of Tenjin, and how Tsuyu loved Michizane-sama so much, she left her forest far away to stand by his side. Yato had found his companion, but it came with a grave taboo and one hell of a dilemma for them to solve.

"But he became a god postmortem, because he was so well-known and his death was tragic," Kofuku pointed out to their dismay.

Every one sighed. They had good ideas, but nothing solid.

"Until we decide how to proceed, we need to keep this quiet," Yato pointed out. "If any of the big wigs find out, the Heavens may just decide to target us."

Everything was quiet for a long moment. As she thought intensely about their predicament, Hiyori felt a wave of guilt. All of this craziness: the plotting, the secrecy, was just so her and her sensitive god can realize their wish. Her whole demeanor changed in the matter of a minute. She felt selfish for burdening so many others with a potentially dangerous situation that wasn't their problem. Tears welled, and the somber half-spirit lifted her head to speak.

"What if all this is just not meant to be?" Hiyori choked, panic ripping through her. "It's all so dangerous. I mean, what if this all fails, and we lose our lives just because I am being selfish?" She stood up, unable to sit still, and looked to the two gods sitting before her, an anxious look in her eyes. "What makes me any different than any other human, really? What makes _me_ worthy of Heaven itself?"

Yato stood up and took each of her hands in his. He knew he needed to make her understand. His look was firm, but loving. It quieted her, giving him her rapt attention.

"Close your eyes," he calmly commanded, and she did as she was told. He let go of her left hand as he explained further. "When you open your eyes, I want you to look at what I'm holding in my hand."

She waited a beat and slowly opened her eyes, looking directly at his right hand, which was held out between them. At first, there was nothing there, but as she looked harder, something appeared.

A small red thread, shimmering in the daylight, draped over his palm. Her eyes began to follow it and realized that on either end it extended farther and spiraled its way up their arms, down around their torsos and other arms. The thread seemed to have a life of its own, twisting, swirling, tightening, loosening with every motion Yato or her made.

"Do you see it, Hiyori?" Yato asked gently. She hummed in affirmation, marveling at the sight.

"The legendary red thread of fate," she murmured, "It exists...are these what bonds look like?"

"No, not all bonds," he replied with a bit of nostalgia. "I have been blessed with the power to see and cut ties of all kinds. Many look like fishing line or silken strands, but the red thread...is something beyond even the power of a god. It is dictated by heavens, and ties not only people, but _souls_ together. Red threads bring them back together lifetime upon lifetime."

Hiyori wanted to take back those words she had just spoken a moment ago.

"How long...Yato? How long have we had this red thread binding us?" she asked, still enthralled with the winding, spooling red around her wrists and fingers.

"I first noticed it that night on the bridge...when you made your wish," he replied, sheepish and blushing as if having let out a big secret. "But who knows...I wasn't paying attention before that moment. And the more interwined you are in another's fate, the more the thread is wrapped around you. It hasn't been like _this_ for too long, but-"

Kofuku cleared her throat, blushing. "Um, that's probably my fault."

"That's likely," he replied before continuing to Hiyori. "Back when you stopped me from cutting them back at Tenjin's place, they swirled around us like infinity, holding us in close proximity. No one else could see what I saw. I knew then that I shouldn't cut them. And now..."

He stepped in toward her, closing into her personal space.

"Watch."

He hugged her and the red once again danced around them, multiplying, and vining down their legs.

"Amazing..." she whispered into his shoulder.

He released the embrace and her hand and suddenly it all disappeared.

"Eh...? What happened?" Hiyori asked.

"You were able to see the bonds under the influence of my divine power," he responded, chuckling. "Don't worry that tangled mess isn't going anywhere."

She smiled up at him and nodded.

"So then... this _is_ meant to be. One way or another," she said recanting her earlier statement. "I'm sorry I panicked."

He lifted a hand to her cheek.

"It's okay, Hiyori. The path of Destiny is not always mapped out. Ours is obviously complicated... But it is absolutely certain."

Off in the distance came voices, both male in a lively discussion.

"Looks like they're back," Yato said letting his hand drop back to his side. "Let's tell Yukine after dinner."

Yukine caught sight of Hiyori and broke into a jog down the walkway.

"Oiiii, Hiyoriii! You have to correct my Geometry homework! I'm almost postive I got them all right! I need to know!" he announced upon his approach.

"Sounds good, Yukine!" she encouraged, chuckling at his enthusiasm.

The next couple of hours were filled with lively chatter about the shinkis' adventure, debate over what they should make for dinner, and rejoicing over Yukine's graduation from middle school math to high school level. After handing over new textbooks and beginning second-level Algebra, Yukine went off to help prep dinner while Hiyori cleaned up and set the table. Yato had helped do dishes earlier, but snuck upstairs as the cooking began. Kofuku went outside to do her evening watering.

The smell of beef udon permeated the air as the big bowls came from the kitchen and were set on the humble wooden table. Yato was last to join, taking a seat immediately next to Hiyori as he usually did.

But this time it felt different. The youthful god felt peaceful and loved. He had trusted friends, people who guided him. They were his family. Now, he had found love, in its truest sense.

He looked at his lovely companion, realizing how much Hiyori complimented him. Knowing the truth about his past, and knowing the danger his present situation potentially could impose upon her, the dedicated brunette remained steadfast. She had no problem telling him when he was wrong, nor did she hesitate to apologize for her own mistakes. She always carried herself as an equal, rather than a follower to their god. She praised him when he worked for the greater good, and honored him in so many ways that no other random 'believer' normally would. And no matter what, Iki Hiyori always put her loved ones' needs over her own.

The overwhelming need to honor her that he felt in return, it was worship in its own right. Hiyori had become his partner...and he loved her.

"Yato..." There came a voice. "Oi, space-brain!" Yukine gave the entranced god an odd look as he shook himself of his thoughts.

"Take a picture it'll last longer. Your udon is gonna get cold," the young shinki retorted with a snort of laughter. Those eyes like the sunset turned to Hiyori with a different but undiscernable gaze. It was as if he was assessing the situation.

She gave him a shy smile, and focused back on her bowl of noodles.

 _Don't be obvious. Try not to give anything away until after dinner!_

Hiyori glanced over at Yato and his face was face was practically buried in his bowl, in attempt of hiding his nerves. A giggled bubbled its way to the surface without warning as she watched her immortal beloved behave like a teenaged boy. Yato stopped and looked at her. A raging red painting his cheeks.

"Yato, you didn't happen to sneak my sake earlier, you're as red as an apple," Daikoku pointed out with a raised brow.

"Yeah, you _and_ Hiyori are being weird today...what the hell is wrong with you?" the young hafuri jabbed.

Yato sighed and looked to Hiyori, resigned. The moment of truth had arrived. There was no holding back now. They both put their bowls and chopsticks down as they addressed their friends.

"Yukine...Daikoku...There's something we need to tell you," said a suddenly reserved Yato.

The young-looking god stared into his lap, the furious blush burning hotter still.

Kofuku wriggled in place on her cushion, grinning almost painfully hard, trying to hold back and let them tell their big news. Daikoku gave his mistress a side glance and raised a brow before looking back at the the two painfully awkward people sitting silently.

"Well, then spit it out already!" the older shinki commanded gruffly. "If you don't, it looks like _she_ will." He thumbed in Kofuku's direction. They saw the stars in her eyes.

Yukine's eyes grew wide in realization.

"Don't tell me you're..." the blond couldn't bring himself to complete the thought.

"Hiyori and I...last night..." Yato began to explain, utterly confusing the two shinki with what sounded more like an innuendo.

"We confessed to each other," he finally got out, reaching for Hiyori's arm and gripping it nervously.

Kofuku let out a squeal as she clapped her hands. The two shinki sat riveted by the revelation.

Yukine couldn't hide his surprise from Yato. The god felt a twinge in his chest.

 _Was it concern? Jealousy? Over-protectiveness?_

"But...she's _human,_ Yato. That's a huge taboo...interpersonal relations between the Near and Far Shores," Daikoku pointed out as gently as he could.

Yato nodded, knowing full well the delicate nature of the situation. He sighed.

After explaining the red thread of fate that tightly wove their existences together, he posed a question.

"But how could making a single wish tie our souls together? I have fulfilled some pretty hefty wishes before without any strings attached."

"Maybe it wasn't her wish?" The cute little goddess suggested with a wave of her hand. "You first met when Hiyorin jumped in front of a bus to save you, right?"

Everyone nodded, pondering a quiet moment.

"Wouldn't that be the ultimate act of devotion: sacrificing oneself for a god?" Kofuku added, punctuating her point. "Even if it was unintentional, I'm pretty sure _that_ would create a strong bond between a god and a human."

Hiyori looked from Kofuku to her one and only God of Fortune, wide-eyed. She was unsure whether to be embarrassed, or to be the slightest bit proud of herself. Yato put his arm around her shoulders and pulled her into his side, resting his head atop hers.

"Yeah, well, I think I'll keep this one...if she'll have me," he said with a soft chuckle. Hiyori gave an awkward lop-sided smile and hummed in agreement.

The quintet rehashed was had been discussed earlier, going over their options with certain information conveniently left out for the sake of the two regalia present.

"But we've gotta keep Yato-chan and Hiyorin's secret until we know what to do, and when they would do it," Kofuku stated, sounding like a high school girl with good gossip. "It may be a long time before we can reach a solution." She looked to Hiyori in particular, her face softening. "It also depends on how much more of her human life she intends on living before joining us as an official denizen of the Far Shore."

Everyone looked to Hiyori, expecting a response, and simply watched the internal conflict play out on her face.

 _I hadn't thought very much about that, yet. But now...this is real. Is my future beyond the realm of humanity? Should I give myself time to do things in life that I want to do before going through with any final decisions?_

Suddenly Yato felt incredibly insecure. He realized that she really hadn't thoroughly thought it through. And now there was far more on her plate than she bargained for.

Unable to keep the feelings of guilt at bay, he gave Hiyori's hand a squeeze before getting to his feet and excusing himself.

"I'm going for a walk," he informed them, barely audible.

They watched him slide the shoji shut as he left. Hiyori looked to the other three.

"I have a lot to consider, don't I?" she asked rhetorically. "But I do know that my future is here with Yato, and all of you. That I have had these feelings for a while now. But as to when to make the transition...how long do I live my human life before joining all of you? I hadn't thought about it at all."

She looked back at the door and knew he was feeling uneasy about what she may decide to do. Yato would always go straight to the worst case scenario and feel responsible for whatever could happen.

 _I need to go reassure him._

"I'll be right back!" she announced as she jumped up, leaving her body behind, and hurried out the door.

Hiyori knew exactly where to find him. There were two places he would go to think. She checked up on the roof first. When he wasn't there, she gave the air a sniff.

 _Yup...he's over there..._

Over on the bridge along the path, he sat perched on the railing, staring up at the waxing crescent moon, as if it held an answer.

 _I can't even think that maybe she won't choose me after all...If she waits until after university, or if she decides to travel...and what if she finds a human she wants to be with more than me?_

"If you are even thinking for one second that you are ever going to lose me, Yato, you had better stop right now."

Hiyori's gentle but prodding tone pulled him from his thoughts.

"You know me too well, Hiyori," he admitted reluctantly. "I was panicking a little..."

The pink-tailed ayakashi hopped up onto the railing beside him with a chuckle. She leaned over and kissed the top of his head. As her lips lingered she breathed him in and heard him sigh in relief.

"I'm sorry Hiyori. I should have just as much faith in you as you do in me. There's a reason we're here... _together_ , isn't there? But for a moment back there, I couldn't help but feel a little unworthy of such an amazing person," Yato confessed warmly, eyes fixated on the rippling water before them.

"No matter what, you will not be forgotten, and I will never leave your side," said the girl with the spring blossom eyes as she peered at her lover from behind her chocolate locks.

Yato met her gaze with equal glance and a knowing, yet sober smile.

"Can I tell you something?" He asked honestly. "Promise me you will listen, and not freak out."

She nodded calmly as she mentally braced herself for some kind of revelation.

"A few months ago, right after we went to Capypa Land, I had this vivid dream," the god began. "You were a goddess," he stated, watching her for a reaction.

Her eyes sparkled wide.

"For some reason, _you_ wielded Sekki. And I...well, I was trapped in a Capypa suit that was cursed," he continued hesitantly, as he hoped to not sound crazy.

Hiyori giggled softly at the mental image. When Yato realized she wouldn't mock him, he continued.

"You sliced through the curse...and you _freed_ me, Hiyori."

Hiyori thought she understood the point he was making and covered his hand with hers.

"Well, love does free one from loneliness..." she offered with a soft smile.

"No. That's not it," Yato rebutted, but decided to clarify. "I mean, yes...This feeling is liberating for sure, but the feeling that there is something surrounding my existence. A curse..."

"Your father?" Hiyori thought aloud. "He is a sort of curse upon your happiness."

"Maybe, but it's been eating at me since I had that dream," he confessed. "I assume it is my feelings for you, trying to tell me that you are also the key to my true happiness, which is ultimately being free of _him_."

Yato stood up and scooped up his little pink-tailed ayakashi, hopping from tree to tree until they stood on the roof of the shrine down the way, over looking the city.

After setting her down, the azure-eyed deity turned to her and took each of her hands in his.

"There is something powerful within me, Hiyori. I feel it. As much as my father tried to condition me to consider myself as nothing but a tool of destruction and death, deep down something has told me otherwise...for _centuries_ now," he explained, letting go of her left hand to touch his chest. "Like a little voice, reminding me how good love and kindness feel."

Yato retook her hand and quietly gazed at her a moment.

"You came out of nowhere, and reminded me of that. On top of a few things that both former Ebisu and little Ebisu have said to me, I am the most determined I have _ever_ been to be the god that I feel has been, well, _trapped_ inside me all this time."

Her eyes spoke a thousand words, smiling at him as she stepped into his arms, raising up on her toes to plant a warm, tender kiss on his lips, lingering long enough to leave him yearning for more before she pulled away.

"Yato," she said softly. "When the time comes, I hope I _can_ be your goddess."


	3. In the Darkness, the Path Shone Brightly

**A/N: In honor of the final prompt of Yatori Week 2016 - Tsukuyomi, Here is chapter 3. Chapter 4 gonna be even bigger. So Stay Tuned if you're into the Tsukuyomi Theory!**

Chapter 3: In the Darkness, the Path Shone Brightly

There, on that particular autumn evening, amidst the trickling of the stream, the silent sparkle of stars complimented the peaceful and ambient light of the moon. It shone softly upon Hiyori's face, adding a evocative nuance to those eyes for which Yato could never sate his appetite.

 _"When the time comes, I hope I_ can _be your goddess."_

Her words, spoken only a quiet minute ago, awakened something he had been stifling for sometime. It had reared its head in random moments when Hiyori had caught him off-guard with her closeness, and it manifested itself in the solitude of his dreams.

 _Desire._

With their first kiss the night before, the spark had been lit. He felt warm and tingly all day. But now, having her alone, gazing at him in the way that she did, the flame grew brighter.

"That is my dream, Hiyori...to spend the centuries of godhood with you at my side," he murmured as he combed fingers through her soft chocolatey tresses. "I _need_ you." His eyes gleamed like shimmering pools, fathomless and tumlutuous as passion smoldered in them.

Hiyori could sense the change in his demeanor. No longer aloof and far-off, he was fully invested in the here and now. She could feel the warmth of his rising body heat, as his hands touched her face. For the first time, his mere touch sent something electric racing down her spine. A few kisses had merely sparked the fire, and now it burned at her core.

She breathed his name, a prayerful utterance, before he captured her lips and wrapped his arms around her shoulders, one hand resting between her shoulder blades, the other cradling the back of her head.

Yato whispered her name against her lips in between firm and tenacious kisses, to which Hiyori eagerly responded. Her arms snaked around his waist, one hand at the middle of his back, the other flirting with his waistband.

The god couldn't curb his craving for contact with his one and only love. Lips loosened, moistened with each consecutive kiss when suddenly the tips of their tongues touched, inadvertantly spurring their curiosity further. They gave pause, panting from the magnitude of emotion. Slowly, lips met again, and tongues began a soft and cautious caress.

Yato's taste was an exponential form of his already alluring essence. It overtook her senses, wiping her thoughts blank of anything but her god of fortune and his embrace.

 _Need._

That was all she felt. The rosy-eyed ayakashi understood what her lover expressed. There was no room for anyone else in her heart. Never in _this_ way. The need to protect. The need to be by his side. The need to be close. The need for his touch.

Desire so strong, propensity so fervent that its object is equivalent to breathing.

Yato ran his tongue along her lip, eliciting a soft mewl. In a knee-jerk response, he pulled her in tighter, pressed against his body with a groan.

"I've never felt _anything_ like this in my entire life," he drawled before plunging back into her warm and inviting mouth.

In the silvery light that tempered the darkness, only the sound of the soft suckling of lips upon lips filled the crisp night air. Time was easily and quickly lost as they stayed enveloped in the other's embrace. Soft hums of contentment escaped their throats as new and enthralling sensations racked their bodies. But under the endless assault of mouth upon mouth, as roaming hands mapped out and memorized each others' backs, lips grew swollen and sensitive. Their first passionate embrace slowed to a stop as they caught their breath and regained their senses.

There was a newfound peace in the silence that followed.

"Something occured to me recently," Hiyori said with a soft, reminiscent smile. He gave her a curious look, urging her to continue. "The day we met, Yama asked me if there was anyone I liked," she began, to which Yato couldn't help but inquire further.

"Was there?"

"No, I've never really had feelings for anyone before. I did joke that Tono was my only man," she explained with a chuckle. "I remember seeing the poster of the cat-"

"Ue-sama, that brat," Yato interjected with a sniff of amusement.

"Mm-hmm...and then _you_ passed by me..." She tugged at his sleeve with emphasis. "And the rest is history."

"So...I'm _your_ first love, too?" Yato asked somewhat incredulously. His tone was quick to turn facetious. "Well, it would be hard for _anyone_ to follow a god, so I guess you're stuck with me!"

He winked at Hiyori, who giggled.

"I don't think I'd mind. I mean, hey...a god's number one girl. It's not a bad gig," she shot back with more giggles.

Yato took her hand and kissed it, holding it the entire walk back to Kofuku's place.

As they slid the shoji open upon their return, they were greeted by two scrutinizing looks. Yukine was not present. Hiyori and Yato looked at each other, then back to the goddess and her shinki.

"Where's Yukine?" The god inquired of his young regalia.

"He went upstairs," Daikoku replied evenly. "He said something about doing some reading."

"He didn't seem upset, did he?" Hiyori asked, concerned for the the effect the news had on him.

"Not really," Kofuku said with a nonchalant wave of dismissal. "But I'd definitely go and talk more with him, since you two took off so suddenly and were gone for a while."

"She's right, Yato," Hiyori agreed with a squeeze of his hand. "Let's go talk to him."

The blue-eyed god nodded and led her upstairs, where her body snoozed on Yato's futon.

Yukine looked up from his Japanese literature book.

"Oh, hey, you're back," he said as if it were of no consequence, returning quickly to the textbook in his hands.

Hiyori and Yato sat themselves with the blond boy, who looked up cautiously at the couple. His look told them that he felt a bit awkward, but obviously was trying not to breach the subject.

"Listen, Yukine-"

"I know what you're going to ask," the shinki said, interrupting his master. "You want to know if I'm okay with all... _this_ ," he said with a gesture of his hand.

"Well, yes," Yato affirmed, his tone calm and pensive. "This involves you, too, as my hafuri and her friend."

Yukine exhaled roughly through his nose and closed his book.

"I can't say that I'm surprised," he began, sarcasm lacing his words. "I just hope that things can generally stay the way that they are. And could you guys try not to be too lovey-dovey around me? That kinda stuff makes me uncomfortable."

"That seems fair," Yato replied earnestly. "But what do mean about things staying 'the way that they are?'"

Yukine's mouth contorted slightly as he considered his words.

"Well, Hiyori will still tutor me the way she always has, right?" he asked looking from his master to his friend. "No skipping out on our study sessions to go on dates and crap...not like _this_ one can afford it, anyway."

Yato was about to protest his financial capabilities when Hiyori nudged him into silence.

"Absolutely," Hiyori reassured him with a smile. "School and studies still come first. And besides, you are my friend, Yukine-kun. I would never ditch our sessions together!"

The teenaged regalia blushed. He was happy that she valued him so much.

"Yukine, remember when you came to me after meeting Suzuha? You were concerned about HIyori forgetting about us someday. Growing older and moving on in life, away from us."

This was news to Hiyori. Her eyes widened in surprise, tempered by a gentle fondness. Her eyes remained on the hafuri as Yato continued his thought.

"Well, if Hiyori manages to become a familiar or a goddess herself, then she'll always be with us. We'll be our own little... _family..._ "

Yato got a little choked up, thinking of his blessed vessel in a somewhat son-like way and thinking of Hiyori being wifely and in some ways _motherly._ She already was, to them, the most important person in their existences.

Hiyori interjected as Yato attempted to regain his cool.

"Yukine-kun, I have been questioning my future for a _year_ now," she admitted. "I was trying to take the usual career survey, and I couldn't even whole-heartedly write down the one thing I always thought I'd be when I was younger: a doctor, and take on the family business. Even before the hospital debacle, I had realized that I really didn't want to take that path anymore. All I could think about was all of my friends here...like _you..._ and _Yato._ My future-my calling- is here, and hopefully it's for a very long time."

Yukine was flabbergasted. This young woman whom he regarded as a precious friend, indeed had her wits about her and knew what she wanted, despite it being something that seemed nearly impossible.

"That would make me happy, Hiyori," the shinki said with tears forming in his amber eyes. He sniffed and looked over to Yato. The lovesick puppydog eyes he was giving Hiyori, unbeknowst to her, was enough to make anyone a little queasy. "I know _this_ idiot will do _anything_ to make it happen."

Yato threw a pencil at him in mock offense. Yukine yelped and chucked it back at him before looking back at Hiyori.

"This guy's been calling your name in his sleep for months! It was only a matter of time before he cracked."

"Hey!" Yato whined. "Don't embarrass your master like that!"

Hiyori simply laughed at them, her smile, bright and infectious, stopping their arguement in its tracks. Her joy reminding the both of them why they had all become so close.

"You guys are adorable," she said.

* * *

Not even an hour later, Yato walked Hiyori home.

She had been staying at her old house four nights a week and spending the weekends with her grandmother while she was still alive, knowing that her grandmother's time drew nearer by the day. The family tried to spend as much time together with her as they could manage.

The two said their goodnights in between lingering kisses before Yato kissed her hand and let it go as he turned to walk out the gate.

Yato paused and turned back to her, knowing that she'd be at her grandmother's the next evening.

"Hey, Hiyori, did you ever ask your grandmother any more about what she called your 'cursed blood'?" The god asked with a keen curiosity.

"No, actually, I never did," Hiyori replied with an inquiring look.

"Well, knowing now that your strong connection to the far shore is hereditary, I would find out more while you still can," he advised. "And I'd ask about that bow of hers, too. I get the feeling that it may be connected."

Hiyori pondered a moment and gave him a nod.

"I'll talk to her tomorrow, and let you know what I find out," she said assuringly.

"I look forward to it!"

With a grin and a wave, he disappeared into thin air.

* * *

Hiyori and Masaomi sat for tea with their obaa-san after Hiyori arrived from school. As she sipped, her eyes found the old bow placed carefully on the stand along with a handful of arrows.

She cautioned a moment, watching her grandmother gaze into the warm green liquid.

"Grandmother," she began, clearing her throat, "I would like to know more about our lineage...and our 'cursed blood.'"

The elder woman paused and sighed before looking somberly to her grandchildren.

"So you would like to know why we can see what we see? Why we can communicate with the other side?"

Hiyori and Masaomi nodded furtively awaiting the precious information.

"Well, some of it is family history, and some is purely speculation that seems to be more than coincidental," she began, her wrinkles etched deeper into her visage as she chose her words. "Hiyori, bring me my bow, please."

The youngest grandchild did as she was told and placed it in her frail hands. It was quiet for a moment as ancient memories seemed to whisper to them in an intelligible hush from beyond.

"This bow," their grandmother began, "represents a long line of shinto priests and priestesses in our ancestry." She held up the old wooden heirloom for the youngest generation to observe. "This belonged to my grandmother's great-grandmother. Every woman between them and countless before them were shinto miko at the Matsuo Taisha in Kyoto. The tradition died with my mother, who passed away when I was young. Living with my grandmother, I discovered that she, like I, could see spirits and communicate with them."

"So you think it's because we have a long heritage steeped in the old religion?" Masaomi surmised.

"Not completely. There are old stories passed on down through the family lines related to the shrine. One my grandmother told me was that in the early days of the shrine, Tsukuyomi himself appeared on a night of a new moon as miko and priests performed a cleansing ritual and kagura dance in his honor. He took a liking to the miko and began to appear to her at the shrine often. It was said that her heart was pure and she was wholeheartedly devoted to the god. When the miko came of age, she was married off, despite her devotion to the kami. It is said that she was blessed by him, and that we, her direct progeny, would always have a 'path to the gods.' It was said that not long after that, Tsukuyomi-sama disappeared, never to appear at the shrine again."

The two listeners were stunned into silence. They just stared at the bow, and tried to figure out what to ask next.

"Well, as crazy as it sounds, grandmother, I am willing to believe it," Hiyori responded. "Because, believe it or not, I have picnicked with Tenjin-sama. I've met Ebisu-sama, who recently reincarnated, and loves hamburg steak. He is friends with Yato, who rescued the former Ebisu from Yomi and Izanagi. And I happened to save Yato by calling his name," she prattled on, relishing the shocked look on her brother's face. "I have watched Bishamonten and her shinki destroy demons and-"

"Her?" Masaomi and their grandmother interjected.

"Yeah. She and Yato are drinking buddies, it seems, as they're both technically gods of war."

They both gawked at Hiyori. Who suddenly remembered that there may even be proof on her phone.

"How? How do you do that, sis?" Masaomi asked, flabbergasted. Hiyori stopped browsing her phone for old pics from last year.

"You guys can't tell mom and dad. They don't know that it's not narcolepsy," she insisted, making them promise.

"So your 'sleeping fits' are-?"

Hiyori's body collapsed to the ground. But to Masaomi and Grandmother, she was still standing. Masaomi poked Hiyori on the ground.

"Don't be spooked, Onii-chan. My body's asleep," Hiyori explained as she bounced around the room, her pink tail flitting behind her.

"Your spirit can leave your body, Hiyori? That _can't_ be safe!" her grandmother cautioned as she reached out to touch the mobile version of Hiyori.

"Well, that's where Yato came in. I am pretty sure this happened when I inadvertantly sacrificed myself for a god...for him. I jumped in front of a bus to get him out of the way when I thought he was going to get hit," Hiyori explained with hesitation. The next hour was spent telling her grandmother and brother all about what had been going on in the last couple years. And how her, Yato and Yukine had all become so intertwined.

"I thought seeing random spirits was something special, and something I hadn't bargained for," Grandmother said with a shake of her gray mane. "But here is my grandaughter, carrousing and meddling in the affairs of the gods...please, be careful."

It was time for dinner and Masaomi went to the kitchen to get things started.

"Grandmother? I'm glad I got to tell you all this while we are still here together. I learned a lot today," Hiyori said, tears forming in her eyes.

Brown eyes smiled from behind her reading glasses. The elder lifted the bow and placed it in Hiyori's youthful grasp.

"This, Hiyori, is meant for you. I believe it has the power to protect you. Along the path to the gods, there are spirits and demons ready to attack. Always keep yourself alert."

"Yes, Grandmother. Thank you. This means so much!" Hiyori bowed deeply before jumping back into her body and coming to.

It got late and after dinner, Hiyori helped her matriarch get ready for bed. She leaned in an kissed the soft wrinkled cheek.

"Oyasuminasai, Obaa-san."

With a flick of the light she was off to her own room. Before settling, she tapped a quick message to Yato to apologize and promise to call in the morning. Her eyes eager to drift close, heavy under the weight of a long, eventful evening.

* * *

 _"Hiyori..."_ a voice called gently, trying to wake her. _"Hiyori..."_ It was soft and distant.

It was peacefully dark and quiet, with nary any light as her eyes fluttered open.

There stood her grandmother in a white yukata, much like the one Yukine had worn when they first met.

"Grandmother?"

The lady nodded with a soft smile.

 _"Hiyori, It's time for me to go. Please tell your mother I love her, as well as your father and brother. I never felt alone with a family like this. I am so proud of you Hiyori. Learn to use your bow, it will serve you well... Please tell your blond friend, that lovely young soul, that I'm not afraid anymore. I'm sure we'll meet again."_

Tears streamed silently down as she watched her grandmother's spirit follow the shinigami's dark shade through the glass of the sliding door out to her balcony and simply disappear.

* * *

The following days were somber, but not sorrowful, as the Iki family laid their matriarch to rest. Yato and Yukine watched the ceremony from a distance. Yukine wiped tears from his eyes, keeping in mind the elder's final words which Hiyori had relayed to him. Hiyori hugged her mother close as Masaomi lit incense, and they all said some final words.

After the service and burial, Hiyori joined Yato and Yukine and headed to Kofuku's. Hiyori hadn't told Yato about her discussion with her grandmother yet, in the wake of her death. But tonight she would retell the extraordinary tale to her immortal comrades.

After telling her family story, including the bow she inherited, Hiyori posed a question to the two deities present.

"Does anyone actually _know_ what happened to Tsukuyomi-sama? I mean, does he reside in Takamagahara, or has he really been in hiding for over a millenium?"

The two gods shrugged.

"Yato, you're a little older than me, aren't you?" Kofuku asked, looking for reinforcement from her jersey-clad cohort. "I've been around a while, but I've never heard about Amaterasu's brothers. I mean, I know she sits on the throne of the Heavens, but it's almost sort of _taboo_...no one dares asks about the whereabouts of Susanoo and Tsukuyomi. Stories older than both of us label them as outcasts."

"Then where do I begin to even figure out the truth behind my lineage? Apparently I am one in a long line-probably like fifty generations-of my family who are connected to the far shore because we were 'blessed' by one of the eldest gods in Japan!" She exclaims in frustration. The words feel unreal as they leave her lips. "How many of my ancestors were like _me,_ and actually befriended the gods themselves, other than the miko who Tsukuyomi blessed?" Hiyori asked even more frantically. "Does that destine me to be a priestess, too?"

The gods and their shinki just listened intently to all of Hiyori's questions, none of which they could answer. Yato wanted to simutaneously calm and encourage the girl he loved, grasping for ideas as to where they could start.

He slid an arm around Hiyori's shoulders.

"How about this," he said changing the subject slightly. "Tomorrow afternoon, bring the bow over and we can do some target practice."

Hiyori's brow uncreased and and her concern washed away, leaving a smile behind.

"Really, Yato? You'll teach me archery?" she said, beaming at him.

He smiled back and scratched nonchalantly behind his head, "Well, _yeah._ I've used a bow enough in my time...A proper priestess knows how to use her bow. And besides...I'm curious to see if it _works."_

"Works?" Hiyori and Yukine asked simulatneously, looking at each other before Yato answered them.

"...Works to destroy demons and ayakashi as a miko's bow should. If it does, then you will finally be able to defend yourself!" Kofuku chimed in, unable to contain her excitement.

Hiyori was so uplifted by the prospect of being useful to Yato, Yukine, and all of her friends from the Far shore that she found it hard to sleep that night.

* * *

The next day, Hiyori brought the bow and arrows along with her. She arrived early enough that Yato wasn't awake yet. It was past breakfast time, and Yukine was up and helping Daikoku prepare for the lunch rush. It was the weekend after all and ramen was popular among shrine visitors.

Hiyori ascended the stairs to the loft and found Yato sleeping peacefully, curled up to a second pillow like a teddy bear. She recalled their first night together, and how she was the one being cuddled. She realized that Yukine, who had outed Yato's previous actions while asleep, was probably not lying. Even though the sun shone bright in the window, he was sound asleep and clutching his blankets like they were his singular happiness.

Hiyori lay down behind him and spooned up against him, whispering his name in his ear. He flipped around and enveloped her.

"No...you can't have'er," Yato mumbled. "She's mine...'skyomi..."

Hiyori froze, surprised by his sudden outburst. But as it seemed he settled, he curled around her and nuzzled her neck. The slumbering god breathed deeply, squeezing Hiyori tight.

 _Is he dreaming...about ME?_

Hiyori felt a rush of heat spread across her face as Yato's grip relaxed a little.

Yato slowly came to, on the heels of a dream that left him feeling anxious. Although in his dream, he pictured Hiyori taking off with the Elder moon god to be his priestess, as he regained consciousness he realized that his pillow was bigger, warmer and smelled just like _her._

Hiyori felt him twitch before he lifted his head to confirm that their embrace was _not,_ in fact, a dream. He gave her a look of disbelief before it settled into a smile.

Yato felt all of the stress of his upsetting dream wash away with the shy, but loving look in her eyes.

"Hi-Hiyori..? When did you get here? Why didn't you wake me?" he said, holding her close for a moment before releasing her and sitting upright.

She fumbled with the corner of a blanket in her lap as she confessed.

"You looked so cozy, I couldn't help but let you sleep," she admitted. "But...it sounded like you might have had a bad dream."

Yato was suddenly embarrassed, looking off to the side at his pillow.

"Did I talk in my sleep?" He almost _didn't_ want to know.

She nodded and mentioned what he said. It confirmed that he had indeed dream that Tsukuyomi had somehow returned after centuries of being gone to claim his miko for his own. He summarized what he remembered of the dream.

"You were easily convinced by that guy, which didn't feel like something you'd do," he said, a hint of frustration lacing his words. "It really hurt."

She ruffled his hair and gave him a soft smile.

"You're right, Yato," she replied, trying to calm the god's fears. "That is definitely _not_ something I'd do."

With a nod, he acknowledged her, got up, and headed downstairs to the kitchen. Hiyori was in tow as the late-sleeper went in search of a meal.

* * *

After an early lunch, Yato and Hiyori were outside in the back yard with a makeshift archery target. The girl's first few attempts at shoot an arrow were comical. As anyone would expect, Hiyori missed horribly. Yato had to stifle laughs as she stubbornly tried to work out on her own.

Finally, she heaved a sigh and turned to Yato.

As much as the god wanted to gloat, he approached her, without a word, to offer the help she silently asked for. After an hour or so of focusing on her stance, her upper arm strength and creating the lines of her aim with angling and positioning, Hiyori's accuracy improved exponentially.

She made a mental note to shoot just a few more arrows before taking a break. It suddenly became imperative to make each one count. With every shot, she came closer and closer to the center of the target.

With the final arrow in her grasp, she zoned in with all of her energy, picturing the giant ayakashi that had swallowed Yato before her eyes on that fateful night when he found Sekki. Hiyori had immediately remembered exactly _why_ she was toiling in the first place.

She wanted to be an asset to her beloved, and not someone who always needed protection. Hiyori wanted to follow the path that had seemingly been laid out before her.

The determined brunette took aim at her imaginary target, picturing herself saving Yato. Something welled up inside her and she released it with her bowstring. There was quick pwip-fwap of the sharpest shot she'd made yet, straight into the bullseye.

Her eyes met Yato's as they grinned at each other, proud of her hard work. He took her hand and walked back inside for a cold drink.

As they sat around the table, there was a bit of a lull in the chatter. Hiyori had been letting her mind wander, and just as her focus came to her in a moment of passion, a little voice spoke in the back her mind.

"I need to visit Kyoto."

Everyone just looked to Hiyori, startled by her sudden interjection.

"I...just...I get a _feeling_ that my answers are there. Or at least part of them."

Looking around at each other, they nodded, knowing she was probably right.

"Yato, Yukine...would you come with me? I have a feeling my brother would come, too. He has friends out there. And is close with one of our cousins, who goes to college there," she explained.

"But when, Hiyori? Your next break isn't for over a month for winter holidays," Yukine pointed out.

"That's fine," she retorted. "We'll make this year's first shrine visit an extra special one."

"Sounds like a plan, then!" Yato declared with a grin, throwing an arm around Yukine. "I haven't been to Kyoto since the Edo period!"

The suddenly enthusiastic deity starts bobbing up and down with a reluctant Yukine still in his grasp, repeatedly chanting, "We're going on a trip with Hi~yori~!"

"Augh! Let me go you gross, sweaty idiot!"


	4. Expected and Unexpected Truths

Chapter 4: Expected and Unexpected Truths

A few days after Christmas, Yato and Yukine accompanied Hiyori and Masaomi to Kyoto. It was a quiet and sleepy early morning train ride into the old capitol. Yukine and Masaomi sat together as Yato insisted on sitting with Hiyori. Masaomi had more than a sneaking suspicion that Yato and Hiyori had become closer than the 'friends' they claimed to be. Seeing them fast asleep, her head on his shoulder and his head resting atop hers, was equally equally endearing as it was troubling.

 _He is technically a god, and not even human. I can't even fathom how complicated this could get._

For the moment, he merely gave Yukine a knowing look, nodding toward the slumbering duo behind them. He would give the big brotherly interrogation at a later time.

After the three and a half hour trip, and a short jaunt on the city line to Momoyama, they arrived at the home Masaomi's good friend, Masumi Yoshida, whom he met during college.

Greeting them with a genuine smile, Masumi welcomed them into her humble abode. She was a friendly and laid back, artsy type of girl. What surprised them at first was that the soon-to-be language teacher and aspiring artist noticed Yukine and Yato right away.

"I haven't had this many people stay at my apartment since my twentieth birthday!" she said with a laugh. "Those were crazy times, eh, Masa?" She turned to Hiyori, who tried to picture her brother getting drunk and doing ridiculous, possibly Yato-like things. The University fourth-year gave her friend's little sister a grin. "So _you're_ the one who's going to take over the family business, eh? Good for you! I couldn't do it, that's for sure."

"Heh...well, possibly. But yes, I am Hiyori," she greeted timidly. "Nice to meet you, Yoshida-san."

"Oh, please, you're my bestie's little sister. Call me Masumi," she chuckled as she looked over to Yato and Yukine. "And that goes for you guys, too."

"Of course...I'm Yatoga-I mean, Yato. And this is Yukine, my...little brother," the god introduced them in a way that would not arouse suspicion. There was much handshaking, as Masumi's specialty was western languages like English, French and German. She had traveled to Europe twice for semesters abroad, and was enamored with their customs.

After settling in and setting up the rooms for their stay, they ate a light snack before bundling up and venturing out into the city.

Masaomi stayed behind to catch up with Masumi, while Yato, Yukine and Hiyori went for a walk to get their bearings. Hiyori was apprehensive about leaving her body behind on their first venture out, so they had to get around the normal way.

"Is it weird that Masumi saw you guys right away?" Hiyori wondered aloud, glancing over to her blue-eyed boyfriend.

Jersey-clad shoulders shrugged, unfazed by the thought.

"There are just some people in the world who are 'open souls'," he replied nonchalantly, a hint of a smile aimed back at Hiyori. "The artistic types, the spiritual types, the empaths...all those people are naturally receptive and have strong intuition."

"But I'm not particularly artistic or spiritual..." A frown began to settle on her face.

"So, what's an empath?" Yukine chimed in, echoing Hiyori's thoughts.

"Someone who is sensitive to people, their emotions and stuff. Strong intuition toward others and their surroundings, and often of things that are beyond the physical realm...Buddhists call it the 'divine eye.' And they aren't far from the truth," he explained, gloating somewhat in his ability to educate them.

They two teenagers hummed thoughtfully as they kept walking.

Hiyori couldn't help but smile to herself. She had never really thought much of how she just kind of _knew_ people's needs and feelings, nor especially of her ability to see those from the far shore.

 _The 'Divine Eye', eh?_ _Maybe I really do have a gift..._ she sniffed, amused by the how literal the term was for her.

"So would you say I should trust my intuition? Would you trust it, Yato?" Hiyori asked in a curious tone.

Yato stopped in his tracks.

"Y-yes, even though I _am_ a _god_ ," he eyed her, knowing there had to be something more to her thought. "Why do you ask?"

"Let's go, then," she replied suddenly. "We're taking the train."

Hiyori felt compelled to seek out shrines. She knew that they'd be likely to run into spirits, familiars, regalia and maybe even a god or two. Maybe someone, anyone of them may have some clues as to the answers she sought after.

The trio stood before large vermilion torii at the entrance of the Fushimi Inari Shrine. Yato swallowed hard. The last time Yato had encountered Inari, he had made a mess of the rice harvest during a bloody battle over four centuries prior. The two human forces, wrought with greed and lust for power, were weeded out upon his father's request. But the damage was so great to the surrounding area, that Inari warned him never to show his face again.

 _Of all the shrines we could visit, it had to be THIS one! Please don't let Inari be around today..._

Despite his worry, Yato did is damnedest to play it cool. It didn't help that the powerful god likely had hundreds of familiars roaming about. No doubt they would eventually notice. He was a clever fox after all. A shape-shifter who could take any form he wanted. But Yato refused to worry Hiyori.

As they wandered down the path toward the second great torii, Yukine and Yato both got the feeling that they were being watched. Amber eyes met ocean blue, and a sense of discomfort echoed silently between them. A soft sigh escaped Yato's weathered lips in a wisp of steam that swirled and dissipated.

Hiyori was oblivious to their exchange as she seemed to be surveying their environment. A sudden point in the direction of the mountain, and Hiyori directed them.

With day as overcast and chilly as it was, the shrine had less patrons than usual. It seemed that most of the people who were there were preparing the shrine for the New Year's crowds to visit in a couple days. As the trio wandered further down the trail they passed through pairs of guardians. Yato refused to look toward the statues, for fear of catching curious knowing eyes.

They continued on without incident a quite a few more paces before Hiyori stopped and turned to Yato.

"I swear the kitsune are watching us, Yato. Tell me I'm not crazy," she said in a soft, yet unnerved whisper.

"You're not crazy. A god knows when another god is on their turf," Yato replied, keeping his voice down as well. "The same with all denizens of the far shore. And to be honest, I kinda wish we hadn't come here."

" _Now_ you say something," Yukine grumbled. "What did you-? Wait, no, don't tell me. It's too late now. We have to just trust Hiyori's gut feeling, and hopefully you won't get us killed."

Yato sulked with an audible 'tch,' and the folding of his arms.

And then they arrived...the duel paths. Hiyori stared a moment in awe. The path to the gods...but which one would she take?

"Which path to take, indeed, young priestess?" There came a playful voice that seemingly read her thoughts.

A lithe white fox with golden eyes looked down at them from his pedestal, making a keen observation of her company before returning his sharp gaze to her.

"You are human, and of miko bloodline...your inner light radiates. Yet your scent is not entirely human. You are one of us...yet not. Strange..."

The fox nosed in Yato's direction.

"You keep company with _this_ god...who can barely call himself such," the kitsune shot scathingly as he looked back at Yato. "O-Inari-sama has not forgotten your trespasses, Yatogami. He is far from pleased by your presence."

"Hey, it wasn't my choice to come here," he retorted, thumbing in Hiyori's direction. " _She_ was the one who wanted to come here."

"Well, it seems you may avoid his anger today, as O-Inari-sama is quite intrigued by your... _familiar_ , as he called her."

Yukine, Yato and Hiyori all looked at each other, confused and a bit nervous.

"But you must choose one path to take, if you seek audience with O-Inari-sama, miko. Go, now."

The white fox returned to stone, leaving them in stunned silence.

Hiyori closed her eyes, took a deep breath and stepped forward into the right-hand corridor of torii gates.

 _Please hear me out, Inari-sama...I mean no harm. Only respect,_ she prayed.

She got to the other end to find two more white foxes awaiting them. Yato and Yukine followed close behind without a word as they climbed higher up the mountain through further rows of torii toward the inner shrine.

The two kitsune leapt through the last gate and onto two stone mounts on either side of the shrine's door. In a flash, a pale, slender man with long silvery-white hair and golden eyes appeared before them. His facial features very much akin to a 30 year-old woman, but his voice a smooth and dulcet tenor.

"What an intriguing creature...here with such a vile abomination...I am utterly baffled," the powerful god said without introduction. The radiant deity shot Yato a scathing side glance. "It took nearly a century to cleanse the rice fields of the havoc you wreaked, Yatogami. How you have come to earn such a sacred companion is beyond me."

Yato bit back a retort behind gritted teeth. His indignation burned hot in his face. But this moment was for his beloved. The former megatsukami swallowed his pride and stayed silent.

"Excuse me, Inari-sama," Hiyori said, diverting the rice god's attention. "Please pardon his intrusion. It's my fault he's here. I am merely searching for answers."

"Answers...?" The devious deity raised his brow, his curiosity stoked even further. "As to your predicament? I mean, even I am curious as to how you exist on both the near and far shores. I don't believe that in all of my millennia I have ever met a being like you."

He leered at her before approaching her. Cocking his head to the side.

"May I ask for your name?" he inquired, watching as Yato and Yukine stood stalk still and silent. The radiant elder god could see that Yato and his shinki were _visibly_ uncomfortable. And he was intent on watching the minor god _squirm._

 _Yatogami is unusually soft compared to the god he was four hundred years ago...maybe it's his young, new shinki..._ He caught the protective eye the megatsukami had on the brunette. _No... It's most definitely the girl. He seems awfully agitated by my proximity to her._

"I am Iki Hiyori, O-Inari-sama, it is a pleasure to meet you. Thank you for obliging," she said, momentarily cutting off the god's train of thought.

"Well then, Iki Hiyori, first, I must know...what is your relationship with Yatogami?" Inari voice was soothing, yet not without intent, like a snake slithering his way into personal territory.

Hiyori choked out slightly, "Re-relationship?"

"Regalia? Familiar? Priestess?" he rattled off, not oblivious to her nervous reaction to his question. _She's hiding something..._

"Uh, well, since I'm not actually dead, I am not a shinki...nor do I believe I can be a familiar quite yet as my spirit is still attached to my body...but I _did_ make Yato his first shrine," she added with a nervous smile as she glanced over at her quiet kami, who finally decided to chime in.

"Thanks to Hiyori I am now an _official_ resident of Takamagahara," he said with a flash of pride.

"So, 'priestess', I would say?" she finally concluded, noticing that golden-eyed god was never completely focused on her as she replied. _He suspects something..._

"Interesting..." he drawled, purposely prolonging her question and Yato's torture. "One last thing I'd like to know is exactly _how_ this came about." He gestured to Hiyori, implying her physical and spiritual state.

Hiyori explained her story about the bus as calmly and evenly as she could manage. Yato cringed internally, as he knew this would all be fodder for blackmail if anything ever went wrong. He glanced at Yukine, who was intently watching the interaction with baited breath. The blond seemed to be waiting for that singular moment that Inari did or said something out-of-line.

"Well, then, Iki-dono, your situation seems obvious," Inari said with a sly smile. "You have inadvertently pledged your soul to a god of calamity. You actually gave your life for him. Your spirit is bound to him, much like a familiar. And you are also descendant of a powerful miko line, it seems. You have the telltale inner light that all true miko possess." He gave Yato another condescending look before he openly admitted, "I have to say I'm a bit jealous. How such a lowly member of our pantheon ended up with you is beyond even my comprehension."

"WIth all due respect, O-Inari-sama," Hiyori interjected delicately, "Yato has been working to denounce his roots as a god of calamity. He is doing things to bring happiness to humanity. He is trying to be a god who is worthy of respect, rather than fear. And as his... _priestess_ , I fully support his and Yukine's efforts."

"You seem wise for such a young human...perhaps you are an old soul," he hypothesized before resigning his thoughts. "I will take your word for it, for now. And now for _your_ inquiry, Iki Hiyori," he said, changing the direction of the conversation with a gesture of his hand. "What is it that you seek?"

"The legend told in my family is that I am of the bloodline of Tsukuyomi's 'blessed priestess'," she divulged, taking the porcelaine-faced god by surprise, whose eyes betrayed his pristine demeanor. "I want to know if you have any idea what could have happened to him," Hiyori declared, growing increasingly ardent as the sudden realization hit her. The words just flew from her lips. "I wish to find Tsukuyomi-sama and learn the truth about why I am the way that I am!"

The fair Inari narrowed his eyes at her, knowing the young mortal had no comprehension of her proclaimed wish, nor its repercussions.

"But what would you do, Iki-dono, if you were to encounter him? Your bloodline belongs to him, but your spirit belongs to Yatogami. Would you have the two gods fight over you? Because surely, Tsukuyomi would destroy him, and you would lose him over a mere curiosity," Inari hypothesized, making a hard point.

"I..." Hiyori stumbled over her words and shot Yato a desperate look. Hot tears formed at the thought of her recklessness causing him harm.

Yato had just been delivered a great shock to his system. The nightmare he had some time ago came back to the god in a flash. The thought of having to face one of the great elders, Tsukuyomi no Mikoto, to claim Hiyori for himself sounded like a daunting task. He would do it if it came down to a fight. Hiyori was worth sacrificing his life. But knowing Hiyori, she would never allow it. He swallowed hard and just held her gaze for a moment. The desperate deity didn't even notice Yukine's defensive and protective stance beside him, ready to simultaneously hold Yato back and block any possible offensive.

But Inari, unfazed, continued to hand out clues, as he could not have cared less for the megatsukami's well-being.

"I had heard about it when it happened," Inari began. "It was rumored that Tsukuyomi had fallen in love with his most devoted priestess. But from what I understand, he merely took her as a spiritual bride, never consummating a relationship with the human girl. The miko had vowed to live her life for the moon god...until the day a rich lord came and bought her hand from her father. That was well over a millennium ago."

"He disappeared shortly thereafter, and good riddance," Inari said bitterly with a wave of dismissal. "I would still have my dear Ukemochi if it weren't for that overemotional, self-righteous bastard."

It dawned on them all, the tale of Tsukuyomi, killing Ukemochi, who had been said to be the wife of Inari.

"I'm sorry for troubling you, Inari-sama. Thank you for confirming the tale I had been told by my grandmother," she replied, disheartened. "I am just surprised that such a powerful and old god would stay in hiding for so long."

"Who knows, young miko," he added, softening in pseudo-sympathy, "If he angered his sister badly enough with that last stunt: falling in love with a human and taking her as a figurative 'bride', considering she was supposed to be his 'one-and-only', he could very well have faced the divine punishment of Heaven, for all we know." He smirked, his hatred for he moon god showing in his tamed revelry. "He simply... _disappeared._ "

Hiyori knew _exactly_ what he meant: The same fate met by poor Ebisu-sama.

 _Wait...But Ebisu..._

Suddenly, she had a ray of hope, but did not betray her reasoning to the powerful and ancient Inari. Hiyori bowed deeply to the beautiful and fair-skinned god.

"Thank you for everything, Inari-sama! You are indeed a benevolent kami!"

"Take care, Iki Hiyori. May the Heavens smile upon you," the god said bidding adieu to his company, without a single acknowledgement to the god and his shinki standing beside her. He morphed into a large white fox and disappated into thin air.

Yato and Yukine let out the breath they had been holding for quite sometime. Yato went to say something and Yukine slapped his hand over his master's mouth. Hiyori gave him a discerning look.

"Not a single word until we are back on the street." Hiyori's words were firm and righteous. Yato, as much as his pride hurt, knew she was right.

After a long, pensive trek back to the gates of the shrine grounds, they crossed the street and headed back toward the train station. Hiyori was incredibly quiet, Yato and Yukine noticed. She was deep in thought the whole way back, a constant crease in her brow. As much as the ever-impatient immortal wanted to pick his beloved's brain, he knew he'd have to wait.

As they arrived back at Masumi's flat, they found the two college buddies waiting for them at the kitchen table.

"Great! You're back!" Masumi cheered. "We were going to go get groceries. How does a hot-pot sound?"

"It sounds wonderful!" Hiyori said returning the smile with relief. "Perfect for a chilly day."

Masumi directed them to grab snacks from the fridge while they waited before heading out the door with Masaomi.

Standing in the hall, Masaomi leaned in and placed a kiss on Masumi's cheek.

"You haven't told her yet?" she asked.

"No, but maybe we should tell them tonight," he replied with a smile before taking her hand and heading to the car.

Hiyori plopped herself onto the western-style sofa with a sigh.

Yato grabbed a beer from the fridge and got comfy on the other end of the sofa, as Yukine curled up in Masumi's papasan.

Turquoise eyes sought out rosy refuge as he reached over for Hiyori's hand and took it in his.

"Hiyori, you've been awfully quiet."

Yukine's gaze also fell upon the pensive girl, whose stare fell to the floor beneath her feet as she sorted things out in her head.

Hiyori felt a reassuring arm slide around her shoulder. Yato slid over and leaned into her.

"Do I need to give _you_ five yen for your thoughts?" he said softly, a little unnerved by her tight-lipped demeanor. It reminded him of the moment of panic he had when he couldn't get Hiyori to enjoy the parade at Capypaland. Back then, he had no clue as to the anxiety she was experiencing, nor its source. But he knew now that his lovely Hiyori would always express herself...unless it was really painful. She tended to keep those things to herself and that concerned him.

The soft bump of her shoulder drew him from his thoughts as she leaned into him, returning the gesture lightly with a crooked half-smile.

"No..." she replied with a sigh. "There's just a lot to consider. Thank you both for being patient with me."

Warm lips pressed gently to her hairline. Yato breathed her in, and the sensation of his breath sent shivers down her spine as her eyes slid shut.

Yukine cleared his throat, expressing his awkward feelings as nonchalantly as he could.

"What do you want to do from here, Hiyori?" the shinki asked, trying to stay on topic.

"Well..." Hiyori trailed off, momentarily playing with the hem of her skirt. "What Inari-sama said...about possibly losing Yato if I continue on this path...I just could never let that happen."

"So, does that mean the search is over?" Yukine pried gently. He played listlessly with the hem of his sweater, uncertain what further pursuit of this endeavor would mean for him and Yato.

Hiyori lay her hand over Yato's as she looked from Yukine to her beautiful beau.

"Not exactly," she said hesitantly. "After considering Inari-sama's advice, perhaps I won't seek Tsukuyomi himself," she intertwined her fingers with Yato's. "But I think I feel that I would benefit from speaking to those in charge at Matsuoo Shrine."

Standing up, she strolled into the next room to where her belongings were stowed. She came back with her bow. Holding it up to remind them of her last point.

"I am curious about my family tree, and what the special significance of the bow could be," she informed them with an air of caution. "At least give me that."

"Fair enough," Yato said, relief evident in his tone. "I can totally support that."

"The other thing that's bugging me is what Inari said about Tsukuyomi facing heaven's punishment," Hiyori's voice quavered as she recalled the horrendous sight of Ebisu's death. "Even if he _had_ been eliminated by Heaven, wouldn't that mean he reincarnated?"

"Most likely," Yato replied flippantly. "He was one of _the_ major gods of the early era, highly worshipped as an elder. But according to the lore, he screwed up big time."

"Okay, then where would he be?" Yukine asked sharply. "Why wouldn't he come back to his worshippers or his shrine?"

"Beats me..." Yato answered dismissively. He didn't want to think about running into the deity. _EVER._ "If Heaven has anything to do with it, his reincarnation may be kept in the Castle with his sister, under her thumb."

"And the legend of his banishment becomes a cover up, then," Yukine finished the theory incrediously.

"Nowadays, I wouldn't put anything past them and their power trip," the deity jabbed darkly.

They all fell silent.

Yukine was slightly worried about Inari's warning, but there was something bothering him even more.

"Yato, _now_ would you tell us what you did to piss off Inari?"

If the mood had been dark, it was about to get darker as the former megatsukami recounted a slightly younger semblance of himself, wielding Hiiro his cursed Nora, slicing through throngs of warriors in the throes of bloody battles that raged in the fields that existed right where they stood. The forces that fought for domination of the stronghold that sat atop Momoyama. Relentless sieges ended in a major battle, which the defending forces finally prevailed.

"Wait..." Hiyori interrupted, trying to wrap her brain around the story. "You were involved with the Battle of Sekigahara?"

"I think that's what it's called now, yeah," he said, holding his head a little higher for a moment and grinning. But his pride was fleeting as he recalled his task. "War is always fueled by greed and power. I was granting the wish of Tokugawa-shogun. He had actually captured the castle from someone else. And then karma came back to bite him in the ass, and the guy couldn't handle it. So I went into the battlefields and did what my asshole Dad always had me do."

He looked down at his feet a moment, feeling the weight of the guilt of all the lives he had taken at the wish of a power-hungry warlord. Yukine and Hiyori looked on, sad for him, with nothing that could be said.

"Yato..." Hiyori called to him, pulling him from his dark cloud of woe.

"Please, Hiyori," he said after a moment. "Just promise me that you'll stick to your plan."

He seemed so down and dejected.

Hiyori lay her hand on his knee reassuringly and gave it a squeeze.

"Yato...I promise you _and_ Yukine...I want to meet with the heads of Matsuoo Shrine and speak with them, and I will consider their information enough."

She knew exactly why Yato was upset, and Yukine, nervous.

"I will not leave you, Yato. We already promised each other that we would find a way to 'forever.' I've told you once, I'll tell you again: I always keep my promises!" she reminded him firmly. Her tone softened and she ran her fingers through the hair that shuttered his solemn eyes. "Besides, Yato...I _love_ you. Why would I ever betray that?"

Poor Yukine felt stuck in an awkward moment of witnessing what he thought was a confession. he blushed furiously before excusing himself to the kitchen.

Yato's gaze lifted to hers, flicking only momentarily to his shinki as he left the room.

"I'm sorry, Hiyori," he apologized, his mood shifting as he realized he had nothing to worry about. "I shouldn't have doubted you. I'm just feeling... _unworthy_ of you, I guess."

Their foreheads met as tears begged to fall.

"But...I love you, too," he whispered, trying to choke back the heaviness. "I just don't want to lose you."

As his words breezed over her skin, she closed the distance. Lips met tenderly. Breathing in, cleansing his soul and washing away any uncertainties that the afternoon's query make have evoked. Warm arms encircled the half-phantom and pulled her in tighter, his fingers clutching her sweater as if she would disappear if he let go. Hiyori pulled out of the kiss only to deepen the embrace and bury her face in the crook of Yato's neck. His scent overtook her senses.

Yato could feel her breath on his neck and the sensation shot shivers down his spine. Leaning in, his lips met the soft skin on her shoulder and they just lingered. Overwhlemed by his struggle between his past and his present, and now also his seemingly very possible future, the mere notion that he's worthy of love demolished the emotional dam he'd constructed. The tears fell hot on Hiyori's bare shoulder and he gasped for air.

Yukine eventually came back from the kitchen and helped console the distraught deity. They were able to calm him down and return him to a semblance of his normal self.

When Masaomi and Masumi returned, all they had to do was ask, "Who's ready for hotpot?" And everyone, especially Yato, got caught up in the communion of friendship.

Everyone sat around the kotatsu, plates filled with various vegetables, roots and meats as they partook of the warm, slightly tangy and spicy tidbits that had been simmering for a good twenty minutes or more. All five of them happily shoveled food into their faces, reveling in each morsel.

But as things wound down, Masumi paused and put his chopsticks down. He swallowed his last bite, chasing it with a gulp of sake. As he placed his small vessel back on the table, he addressed everyone at the table.

"I believe I need to have a chat with you guys," he said, trying to cover up his serious demeanor with nonchalant words.

Yato instantly panicked, thinking he was about to out he and Yukine and his relationship with his sister. _He's onto us, and he hates me. Dammit, he HATES me!_

"Hiyori..." the older brother began gently. "I'm sure you can understand why I haven't followed in father's footsteps. Neither medicine, nor business have been my passion. _Ever._ "

Masaomi had his sister's rapt attention, as she, unbeknownst to him, could relate in her doubt of carrying on the family profession.

"I became an artist, among other things, and am happy being with those people that share that with me," he continued. "People like Masumi..."

The eldest Iki sibling took his companion's hand, symbolizing their emotional and spiritual union.

Hiyori's eyes widened realizing what his gesture had implied.

"Masumi and I, well," he paused, holding up her hand to show the ring that decorated her finger. "We have been close for a very long time. It's not a lie to say she is my best friend...but we are going to get married this coming year."

Hiyori was both breathless and speechless. _His best friend...they are also in love..._

"Wait," Yato interjected, "so you haven't told your parents yet?"

Masaomi shook his head.

"This is a fairly new development. Although, when I am here in Kyoto, I have been living here with her. But with grandmother's declining health, and familial duties taking priority, it wasn't the time to make any announcements."

"So, you're telling us first?" Hiyori concluded, surprised that her brother seemed to value her input for the first time in her life.

He hummed in agreement before eyeing Yato, then looking to Hiyori.

"Indeed, because I'm pretty sure that you can now relate to these same feelings," her brother stated with a sly grin, looking back at the astounded god.

The trio just stared at the older brother in astonishment, unsure what he was about to say or ask next. Yato and Hiyori glanced at each other and swallowed hard, knowing there had to be a point.

"So, spill it, little sis'...now it's your turn to tell me. What exactly is going on? Are you and your god-friend a _thing_?"

* * *

A/N: Hope you guys are enjoying the journey! There's much more to come, because the nuances of the Noragami manga, in conjunction with a bunch of actual shinto folklore, have much more to add to my imagination. :)

Peace, Love and Fanfiction!

~Destinies Entwined


	5. More Than You Bargained For

**A/N: To those of you who had reviewed in the last couple of months, THANK YOU. It is because of you and your kind words of encouragement that I came back and am continuing this story. Outline of Chapter 6 is WIP.**

 **The power of positive feedback is a warm and invigorating thing. I promise to have the next chapter done sooner rather than later.**

 **~DE**

* * *

Chapter 5: More Than You Bargained For

Hiyori's face was burning. Her stomach turned, internal debate holding her tongue in the uncertainty of what her brother would say if she were to answer him. Her words were lodged in her throat. But before she could force herself to vocalize her thoughts, she was saved by a very curious Masumi.

"Wait...Masa..." she said, her face twisting in confusion. "What do you mean, _god_ friend?"

Yato froze, his chest tightening as he held his breath. The god was shocked that Masaomi so easily blurted out two facts that weren't things he would have so freely advertised to someone he had never met. But it was too late.

 _Guess there's no hiding it, now, is there?_

Yato exhaled sharply through his nose.

"Well, this isn't exactly the way I care to introduce myself," he said in resignation. "But yes, my name is Yato-called 'Yatogami' by some. I am trying to make my name as a God of Fortune." He stood up, pulled out one of his business cards from his jersey pocket and presented it to the baffled young woman. The god gave her a moment to read it, watching as she raised a single incredulous brow.

"Yukine, here," he said quite matter-of-fact as he gestured toward the blond, "is my regalia. He is the weapon I use in imparting justice and granting wishes." He took a few steps back, as Yukine gave him a scowl.

"You idiot, not in the _hou-_ "

"Come, Sekki."

Yukine disappeared before their eyes in a flash of light and the dual swords suddenly materialized, sharp and gleaming in Yato's hands.

"You just _had_ to show off, didn't you?" Yukine grumbled. "Well, it looks like she believes you now."

Masumi's eyes were round like saucers. Hiyori thought they'd nearly pop out of her skull. Her older brother, on the other hand, knew full well and had the biggest grin on his face as he saw Sekki for the first time.

"He really _is_ a god, Masumi," he said with a light laugh before gently lifting her dropped jaw. He paused a moment before eyeing him and his sister once again. "And I have got the sneaking suspicion that he and Hiyori have a _thing_ for each other."

Yato turned bright red and sputtered Yukine's name, so he would revert. It was enough distraction to garner a moment to collect himself. Hiyori looked at him, her eyes begging him to do something.

"What say you, Hiyori?" Masaomi asked her directly. "You denied it up and down at Grandma's months ago. But now, you seem... _different._ " He gestured to Yato. "You two have always seemed close and acted familiarly. But on the train, you two were _awfully_ cuddly _._ "

"Pfft..." Yukine scoffed. "That's not the half of it." He stuck his tongue out at Yato who had opened his mouth to retaliate.

Yato closed his mouth, giving pause before turning from Yukine to the couple across the table, sighing in surrender.

"It's only recent, Onii-chan," Hiyori admitted, as it took every ounce of her courage to defend herself. "You already know about some of the stuff I've been through with Yato. We have come to really care about each other." She recounted once again, the story of how she met Yato by jumping in front of a bus to save his life. Giving a synopsis of how, in _that_ moment, she became entangled in the world of the far shore.

"And now," Masaomi added exasperatedly, explaining to his fiancée, "Our grandmother's parting gift was the legend of our bloodline, and it, too, is tied to the gods. She gave Hiyori her heirloom, a old carved bow."

Masumi, astonished and enraptured by the incredible story, held her hand to her heart and smiled wide.

"This is all so...romantic," she gushed. "Hiyori, dear, you are a very special young lady."

"Th-Thanks," she replied meekly, not knowing what else to say.

"So we're here to get more details about why she has the ability that she does, how it affects our, err, _situation..._ what kind of history is behind the bow and any possible power it may wield," Yato summarized.

Masumi merely nodded, trying to absorb all of the information being thrown at her.

Silence hung in the air for a long moment before Masaomi cleared his throat.

"So, Yato, I am curious to know..." he began, furrowing his brow slightly. "How _old_ are you, exactly?"

The youthful looking god appeared to be counting on his fingers at first, before resting his index finger on his chin as he pondered further.

"Well, when I was very little, I can remember first hearing about Tenjin. He was still referred to as Lord Sugawara no Michizane. He was already dead at the time, but not yet a god," Yato finally replied. "So around there somewhere..."

An curious Masaomi picked up his phone and searched for the information. As he read, his eyebrows climbed higher on his forehead. His face froze, his gaze locked onto the blue-eyed god.

"You...are _well over...one THOUSAND. Years. Old._ "

"Hmm...yeah," Yato's lip pouted as he pondered, head cocked toward something invisible above him. "...that sounds about right," Yato replied nonchalantly, totally clueless as to the reason for the question. He seemed oblivious to the dark aura building around his girlfriend's sibling, which further infuriated him. "Maybe more like eleven hun-"

" _ANDYOU'REDATINGMYSIXTEENYEAROLDSISTER!"_ He went to launch himself over the table at Yato in a full-on overprotective big brother rage, grabbing the startled god by the throat and squeezing.

Yato called for Yukine but he refused to respond.

"The guy's got a point, Yato. It does kinda make you a creep," the shinki retorted with a snort.

Hiyori and Masumi jumped to their feet and held the older Iki down by the shoulders.

"Stop it, Onii-chan!" Hiyori shouted. "I know you don't get it. I know it seems illogical, but please, _calm down_!" She begged him. "You need to remember that this whole situation is far beyond any human matter."

Finally he released his grip.

"Don't give me that, Hiyori." Masaomi bit out as he stood back. "He's an old pervert god, preying on a teenage girl!"

"Are you kidding? I'm more mature than he is! And besides, it was never like that. We've always been friends. The last two years, we've spent day in and day out together, just doing normal friend stuff..." she tried to recount all the days they hung out at Kofuku's, went out to eat, went to Capypa Land, had a picnic.

Yukine cracked a crooked smile. "I don't know if hunting ayakashi, fighting gods and yokai, or making field trips to Takamagahara is 'normal friend stuff,' Hiyori."

"Well, no, but we've risked our lives for each other...all three of us. They are my best friends, and I love them very much. I refuse to ever lead a 'normal' life if that means not having them in it."

Hiyori looked her brother square in the face, unwavering and resolute.

"Masaomi," she said his name for the first time in quite a while to strike a chord of severity. "From the day I laid down my life to save Yato, I have been spiritually bound to him. We have been through crazier, more life-threatening things than any person could ever dream of. We are so tightly bound by fate. And I couldn't imagine my life without him. There is no denying where my future is."

She lay her hand on his shoulder once more, but this time with gentle assuaging. He brother winced at the conclusion his sister was coming to.

"If I am a direct descendant of a powerful and heaven-blessed priestess, and bound to a god, then I will follow the path set before me. I will take up Grandmother's bow, and be the woman the gods have intended me to be, whether human, spirit or both."

"Or goddess..." Yato piped in tenderly. "I thought about that earlier. If your ancestor became the bride of Tsukuyomi, even just in spirit, it is a pact made with the heavens. I believe that may just be the key to...' _forever'."_

Masumi was overwhelmed by all of this talk of gods, immortality and fate.

"Guys...I think we should leave it be for now. This is a lot for not only myself, but especially Masa, to take in," she said, her voice pleading to ease the strenuous tone of the conversation. "If all you've said is true, then Hiyori, you have some big decisions to make. And please, be careful how you go about dealing with these affairs. You are a wonderful girl. I think we all know that. Just make sure you think it all through before doing anything drastic. I mean, I certainly didn't know what I truly needed or wanted when I was a teenager." She paused and chuckled to herself. "But then again, I didn't have a god by my side either."

"I assure you, her brother, that I already vowed from very early on to protect Hiyori with my own life," Yato stated firmly. "No matter what. I, of all people, know just how special she is. She defies all logic," he continued, his eyes growing soft as his heart warmed with love and pride. "And she has become so very precious to me."

Masaomi sighed. He knew he couldn't argue with an immortal being. Those cerulean eyes glinted with the purest of intentions he spoke of her. He knew they were being honest. Both of them. He nodded, resigned to the fact he was going to lose his sister to the far shore, though likely not in death. His head began to throb from the stress of overthinking.

"I don't know about you guys, but I need a drink...or five."

* * *

The clock struck two over a hushed room. Five bodies strewn about the dining and sitting rooms, separated by a wide double shoji door, which remained open. Empty beer cans littered the low lying table top, along with two empty wine bottles, an empty sake bottle, shot glasses and a partially drank liter of Tullamore Dew, which Masumi had brought home from a trip to Ireland.

Yukine and Hiyori were curled up on opposite ends of Masumi's sofa, cuddling their respective pillows. Masaomi lay flat on his back on the tatami, with his floor cushion under his head. Masumi was curled up to him with her head on his chest and a little wet stain forming on his shirt under her face. Yato lay haphazardly through the doorway, clutching his cushion to his chest with one arm and an empty bottle of sake in the other hand as his snored lightly.

Hiyori woke at the sound of the chimes from the German-made clock on the wall. Her heart lightened as she observed the aftermath of what turned into unabashed revelry only a few hours prior. What started out as a manly competition of 'who could drink more' had quickly turned into inebriated bromantic confessions and drinking 'to family and friendship,' among other things.

 _"Masa...*hic*onii-san..." Yato began after they had simultaneously shotgunned their sixth beer. "You know what's going to blow your mind?"_

 _"What, Yato-kun? Do tell..." Masaomi slurred as his smiled lopsidedly._

 _"I may have been alive for a long time, but..." The drunken deity paused to burp, a taste of regurgitated beer acrid on his tastebuds. "I was isolated for years...barely any contact with anyone, unless I was granting their screwed up wishes. My Father totally messed with my head...Sssseriously...Eleven fucking centuries, and I am only now learning what love, annnnd ffffriendship...and fa-*hic*-amily are about...Thanks to Hiyori."_

 _"Wow, man...that's sad," the older Iki replied with feigned mockery. It did, in fact, explain how lonely an individual Yato must have been. "How the hell does that even *hic* hhhappen?"_

 _"It's a lonnnnng ass st-story, Masa-nnnnii. Let's just say my dad sucks. He's a shitty...wwwhatever-he-is." Yato replied, gesturing dismissively._

 _"Sounds like we should do another shot," Masaomi said with a snort of laughter. He poured more of the tawny liquid into their previously used glasses. "What are we drinking to, Yato-kun?"_

 _"Fuck that guy!"_

 _Echoing the god, he raised his glass to Yato's._

Hiyori chuckled behind a somber smile. Her beloved God of Fortune had come a long way from his roots. She reached down toward his sleeping form as she considered waking him, but paused and decided against it. Instead she grabbed the sake bottle and gently pried it from his grasp.

He turned and groaned as he grabbed her wrist instead, threatening her balance. One eye opened sleepily and beheld her wide rosy gaze.

"Mmm, Hiyori...c'mere," he mumbled as he tugged her down.

"Y-yat-" She landed with a thud, the bottle leaving her grip and rolling away. "Ow!"

He silenced her complaint by unceremoniously shoving the cushion into her arms, freeing his own to embrace her where he lay.

Maneuvering the large cushion to support both their heads as he spooned her, she sighed. Resigning herself to the comfort of his loving, albeit currently inebriated, embrace, she shut her eyes again.

 _At least I'm not facing him right now._

"M'not lettin' y'go..." he hummed into her hair at the nape of her neck. The sensation sizzled her synapses.

Then he yawned, his breath hitting her nose. And she cringed.

Her nose crinkled and her face twisted at the rank of old beer and rancid whiskey, tinged with the acidity of bile.

"Ugh, Yato," she whispered. "You reek of booze."

A sleepy chuckle emanated from his chest.

"Too bad...y'stuck w'me." His arms tightened slightly around her waist for only a second, as he nuzzled deeper into her hair before relaxing and slipping back into slumber. Hiyori eventually followed.

* * *

Masumi stirred as daylight peeked through the windows, waking her fiancé. She gave his cheek a quick kiss before sitting upright and stretching away the stiffness her arms and back. She paused mid-stretch at the sight of Yato and Hiyori curled up together on the floor on the opposite side of the room.

"Hmm? What is it, Masumi?" Masaomi asked, noticing her lack of movement and trained gaze.

Masumi merely put her index finger to her closed lips, and then pointed in the direction of the doorway.

"What?" he hissed as he caught the sight for himself.

His future wife shushed him and waved her hand downward before grabbing her mobile phone from the clutter on the table.

With a playful grin she got to her feet and readied the camera, making sure her phone was still silenced. The artist was giddy with the vision of new love before her as she took various shots at different angles and framing.

"Perfect!" she whispered excitedly. Leaning back over toward the protective big brother, she showed the perfectly framed shot: framed from the shared floor cushion, both with their right arms bent and tucked underneath and Yato's face buried in Hiyori's chestnut tresses, to Yato's limp left arm draped over Hiyori's mid-section, her arm over lapping his and her hand covering his.

Masaomi's first instinct was to be upset by their proximity. But one look from his own beloved reminded him the peace he felt when they slept that way. He understood.

With a sigh, he stood up and observed them. "She really is growing up, isn't she?"

Masumi gave him a knowing look and nodded before grabbing a few of the cans off the table and heading into the kitchen.

The smell of food woke the three remaining sleepyheads. Hiyori's eyes fluttered open to the sound of pans and utensils scraping, as well as things mixing and sizzling. It then occurred to her the position she was in.

 _Oh no, did Onii-chan see us like this?!_

She sat up with a start, looking around the room.

 _They cleaned everything up, and didn't even wake us?_

There was a rustling beside her.

"That's some of the best sleep I've had in a while," Yato said kissing her on the back of the head.

"How on earth are you not ill?" Hiyori asked, mind blown that he didn't seem the slightest bit hungover.

"Gods don't get hung over."

"That's a _lie,_ Yato," Yukine chimed in suddenly from the couch. "Kofuku was hurting for two whole days after the hanami picnic last year.

"W-well then I just have amazing tolerance!" he sputtered, trying to make something up to cover his fib.

"Well, you definitely don't have amazing _breath_ , Mr. _Shotgun_." Hiyori retorted, heading to her room for a moment. She unzipped her luggage and retrieved her toiletry bag. "You reek of stale booze. Please go brush your teeth, _and_ mouthwash!" She declared, handing him the required utensils to fulfill her request.

Defeated, he took the bag and headed to the washroom to do just what she'd asked.

By the time he'd come back, breakfast was on the table. Fat, tantalizing rice omelets, each with their names on it.

The five of them generally took most of the morning to relax. Yukine went for a walk with Masaomi down the street to the pharmacy for some headache medicine. Masumi was working on a commission, when Yato's curiosity got the better of him. He peered over her shoulder quietly for a few seconds, observing her work in awe. It was a portrait of a woman on her wedding day, her face glowing as she smiled in her traditional uchikake and wataboshi.

"What a lovely bride," Yato commented. His voice was far off as he simultaneously admired the level of Masumi's artwork and pictured Hiyori in the woman's place. Suddenly he was sparked with creativity.

"Hey, Masumi, do you have a sketch book I could use?" he asked, his eagerness to draw smothering every word.

"I would be a poor excuse for an artist if I didn't," she said with a chuckle, before pointing to an office-style cabinet. "I have a fresh one in there."

Yato procured said sketchbook and made himself comfy on one end of the couch.

"Is art one of your hobbies, Yato?" Masumi asked from behind her canvas.

"Yeah, mostly sketch art; ink, pencil, marker...never had the opportunity to get into painting," Yato's voice grew somber upon his cadence. Masumi picked up on the hint of regret mellowing his tone.

"Well, maybe we can find some time for me to show you some of the basics at some point," Masumi replied, smiling as she peeked out from behind her easel.

Yato's eyes lit up like a child.

"Really? That'd be awesome!" he cheered. "I look forward to it, Masumi- _sensei_!"

Masumi giggled at him before returning to her work. Yato did the same.

Hiyori picked up an art magazine that had been sitting on the coffee table while the scratch of Yato's pencil scratched away at rough pages.

In only a matter of five minutes, his pencil paused and he lifted the notebook toward Hiyori. There, she beheld a very accurate sketch of what she remembered resembling the red string of their fate, coiling around them and pulling them together.

Her face flushed as she gave Yato a shy smile.

That was enough to fuel his fire and continue.

Hiyori got up to make some tea, and she came back, there was a sheet stuck in the magazine. Sitting back down on her end of the couch, she gave her doting deity a curious look before opening to the page. He was blushing furiously and wouldn't hold her gaze.

And then she looked down at his second sketch.

It was the bride that Masumi was painting. Except, it was her.

Yato heard her breath catch.

"It was the first thing I thought of when I saw her painting," he said softly. "Sorry...I embarrassed you, didn't I?"

His words rung in her ears, but didn't register right away. Echoing in a distant present, she pictured herself as a bride. First as Yato's, then in her ancestor's place as the bride of Tsukuyomi. Hiyori had never thought of the idea of marriage in any serious capacity in her life. She reminded herself that she was merely sixteen and that it was the twenty-first century. There would be at least a couple years until she should be even entertaining these kinds of thoughts.

But...

Flashes of the dress Yato had made her (it had oddly resembled a bridal gown) invaded her mind, quickly followed by the "Marry Me, Hiyori" sign at Capypaland.

 _I had taken both as merely humorous and light hearted..._

Finally, Yato's confession hit her.

"No, I'm not embarrassed," she countered. "But, this isn't the first time you've had this thought, is it?"

Words stuck in Yato's throat like peanut butter. He knew better than to get onto this subject at this point in time.

"N-no comment," he said with a shy and evasive glance.

Hiyori knew what that meant, but gave him the benefit of not pushing the subject. She wasn't ready to think of all that. But her heart couldn't help but feel light with hope for their eventual 'forever.'

* * *

Afternoon arrived with a crisp but sunny day, and the trio headed out toward the grand shrine on the western edge of town, at the base of Arashiyama, which housed one of Tsukuyomi's more well-known shrines: Matsuoo Taisha.

They would also have to pay respect to the elder mountain god, Oyamakui-no-kami, who was also revered as the god of sake, and the goddess of the ocean, Nakatsushima-hime, as this was the oldest and most sacred shrine in the old city, having existed over thirteen hundred years.

Hiyori carried her antique heirloom protectively in a coverlet, as not to alarm people with the fact that she was technically carrying a weapon.

They made their way from Hankyu-Matsuo-Taisha Station to the blazing red torii looming over the pathway into the shrine's holy ground. What lay beyond was a beautifully landscaped shrine of subtle elegance, partially nestled in the forestry at the foot of the mountain. The energy here was old. It was far more calm, more peaceful than that of Inari's. The distant trickle of water indicated the holy river and it's source, the sacred waterfall, nearby. Beyond the main gate, stained dark and accented in white and gold, lay an array of facets of this shrine. As they passed through the main gate, Yato halted in his tracks as a tingle buzzed up his spine, setting the hairs on the back of his neck on end.

He had never paid visit to this shrine in all his centuries, but something seemed strangely warm and familiar about this place. He followed Hiyori up the stairs, toward the main shrine building. She was on a mission to seek out the head priest and the miko and get answers.

As Hiyori scanned their surroundings, Yato found himself absorbed in this odd feeling he could neither pinpoint nor rid himself of. Yukine gave him a quizzical look.

"Oi, what's up with you? You're so out of it," he chided his master. "Tell me truth are you actually hungover?"

Yato snapped out of his daze a moment.

"No. I told you already...but I dunno...I've been feeling kinda weird since I stepped into the shrine grounds," Yato replied, in a hazy tone quite unlike himself.

He merely stared as Hiyori wandered off toward a doorway, unable to move.

"Are you going to be okay?" the young shinki asked, obvious concern written across his features. "Hiyori went to request an audience with a priest of the shrine. Maybe we should just wait for her here," he suggested after getting no response from the oft animated god.

Yato finally acknowledged his hafuri with a nod, as he took in the place with wide, but blank eyes. He felt as if he'd stepped into a dream, unable to separate reality from a familiar happenstance. Something was drawing him up toward the mountain, but it would have to wait.

Hiyori came back, smiling.

"The priest is ready to speak to us, Yato," she grabbed him by the hand. "C'mon!"

Yato let himself be led along until a moment of clarity hit him and he pulled his hand away.

"Hiyori, we mustn't mention who _we_ are unless they somehow figure out that we aren't human," he explained before Hiyori could react to his momentary retreat.

She nodded in agreement and they continued on their way through some ornate doors toward the back of the shrine.

Adorned in his proper _tsuneshou_ , the head priest stood toward the back of the room as they entered.

" _Shitsureishimasu_ ," Hiyori said as they approached, begging the priest's pardon for their imposition on a day of holiday preparation. "Thank you for seeing us today."

The priest nodded as they bowed deeply to him.

"I am Yoshida-guuji. What brings you to our shrine today?"

Hiyori stepped forward, and knelt before the priest.

"My name is Iki Hiyori. I come on behalf of my family, and my bloodline which, as my grandmother told me before her passing, is connected to this shrine," she explained, not wasting a moment of the holy man's time.

"Of which line might you be speaking, young lady?" he inquired gently.

Without hesitation, she unwrapped the coverlet and revealing the antique bow. Looking to the guuji to gauge his reaction.

His eyes widened, seemingly recognizing it's significance.

"From whom did you acquire this bow, Iki-san?"

"From my grandmother, who claimed it was her grandmother's, and her grandmother's great-great grandmother before her," she replied giving her obaasan's account verbatim. "They were holy women of this shrine in many generations past."

The priest stepped forward and gently took the antique in hand to examine it more closely.

"I can attest that this _yumi_ is indeed an artifact of this shrine. There are only two others in existence that we know of, and they are on display here in the shrine museum."

Hiyori met the priests eyes in surprise. _There are others?_

"Tell me child, are you able to see beings from the spiritual realm?"

"Y-yes, sir," she replied meekly, unsure of how much she should divulge to this complete stranger.

He seemed to ponder her response a moment before asking further questions.

"Please tell me more about your 'bloodline.' What do you know about your ancestors?"

"Well, my grandmother told me we have 'cursed blood'. But to be honest, I think it a subjective name. Being able to communicate with the spirits and gods is not a curse," she defended.

The priest eyed her with a raised brow. "Gods, you say?"

"Uhh...figuratively speaking, I mean. Denizens of the Far Shore, whatever they may be," she replied quickly, trying to cover up her blunder. "Anyway, my grandmother said we are possibly descendants of a miko once favored by Tsukuyomi-sama. And that's why my ancestors had long been holy women of this shrine and possess this bow. I wanted to know if her story had any truth behind it."

The guuji stared at her wordlessly for a long moment, lifting his eyes to observe the quiet and attentive pair who accompanied her before turning to call for an attendant. A girl about Hiyori's age arrived quickly to his side, clad in the traditional white and red miko garb. Head Priest Yoshida spoke softly to her, so that Hiyori, Yato and Yukine couldn't here the exchange. The miko nodded and ran off.

"I have a priestess who is the keeper of the long-held miko traditions here at Mastuoo Taisha," he explained. "She may have insight on your lineage, and may be able to better verify things for you."

An older woman, in her seventies, entered the room from the rear entryway, carrying an old book and clad in formal female shaman attire.

"Come, my child," she beckoned with a gentle smile. "Let me see this bow."

The elder flipped about two thirds the way into the book before stopping. Alternating between reading the page and examining the markings on the bow, she muttered to herself. Her eyes widened as they lifted to Hiyori's.

Finally the crone read aloud the text before her.

"Arashiyama was blessed by the favor of the Lord of the night skies, ruler of the tides-he who could impart or change fate itself, Tsukuyomi-no-mikoto-sama. The founding clan's eldest daughter, who had..." She met Hiyori's gaze once more. "...eyes of springtime, devoted her heart and soul to his worship and the wellbeing of his shrine and worshipers. She carried a bow to protect the shrine from ayakashi and youkai. Tsukuyomi-sama visited his shrine often, finding amusement in the maiden's company. During her seventeenth year, Tsukuyomi asked her to be his bride on the night of a full moon ceremony. She had given him his word that night, but before the god could return to take her as his own, a lord of the Fujiwara clan saw her great beauty and insisted on taking her for his own, giving a small fortune to the shrine in exchange. Tsukuyomi, being a master of divination and manipulator of fate, cast a red string to forever bind himself to his love, knowing that someday, he and his maiden would be reunited."

Everyone fell silent, simply looking at Hiyori, who could feel the heat rise to her face. The elder took one last look at the bow.

"This is most definitely the yumi of lore, that belonged to the blessed miko. And you have the blessed gift. I beg of you not to call it a curse any longer, Iki-san. It is a gift, from Tsukuyomi himself."

"Oh...okay...well, then..." the poor girl stumbled. "what _happened_ to Tsukuyomi? He was banished, along with Susanoo later on-"

"You've done you're research, young lady," the priest said with a warm smile.

She nodded, acknowledging his compliment before continuing to her point. "I can tell you for a fact that Tsukuyomi-sama has not been seen by the denizens of the far shore ever since around the approximate time this story happened."

Hiyori pleaded, "A god _that_ widely worshiped could not have ceased to exist, so why would he be _hiding?_ "

The elder priestess looked fondly at her, "Maybe as not to further anger the Heavens? Amaterasu did once consider Tsukuyomi her husband, though it be millennia ago. Another grudge, perhaps? Or maybe he's waiting for his bride to return? _._ " With a shrug, she closed the book, careful with its antique pages.

"So...if I am the descendant-or... _reincarnation_ -of this miko, I would have a red string tying me to Tsukuyomi?"

"I would assume so, according to legend," the crone replied.

"Is it possible to be tied to more than one person at a time?" Hiyori asked lastly before the silver haired shaman stood.

The woman pondered, gazing at Hiyori thoughtfully. Her gaze momentarily flickered beyond Hiyori before giving her a curious smile. "No, I'd suppose not."

Hiyori sighed with relief as the priest turned to exit the chambers through the rear door, where the woman had entered from. The priestess followed.

 _So maybe I'm not her after all, since I can't be tied to both Yato and Tsukuyomi at the same time..._

"Oh," the old woman said with a pause. "Come tomorrow night for Hatsumode. Not only is it the eve of the New Year, it is a full moon. So we are also doing the ancient full moon ritual. The miko would be blessed by your presence, Iki-san."

She turned away from them and continued toward the door and chuckled.

"You're two _friends_ are also welcome. Hope to see you then!"

With a wave, she left behind her the speechless trio.


	6. Premonitions and Quandries

Chapter 6: Premonitions and Quandries

"She totally saw us!" Yukine exclaimed, pointing toward the door through which the old priestess had retreated. "I saw her look straight at us at one point, for like _half_ a second."

"Nobody else addressed us," Yato added. "Or even looked at us."

"She may have been the only one who could see you," Hiyori hypothesized. "And since you were both sitting and waiting respectfully, she probably figured you two were with me."

They sighed collectively.

Then it hit Yato. They were invited to the ancient full moon rite. The odd look she had given them, and the curiously _knowing_ tone in her voice, gave Yato an ominous feeling.

He kept uncomfortably silent as they walked the grounds, through the well-kept gardens to the small river that derived from the sacred waterfall. Yato jumped the small fence and dipped his hand in the rambling waters. He could feel the water's purity and power as it washed over his skin. Cupping his hands he took some of the cool natural spring water and looked to Hiyori and Yukine.

"Put your hands out," he commanded gently. They did as asked, palms up toward him, and his let the water dribble from his hands onto theirs. They could both feel the subtle tingle of the divine power and it crept up their arms. "This place is full of old energy. The gods here are warm and welcoming, and ever present. They are incredibly pure and righteous, and have probably never reincarnated. I can _feel_ it."

Yato was so somber and tender, almost wistful.

"What's wrong Yato? You haven't seemed to be yourself since we got here," Hiyori pried. Her eyes searched his.

"Even though I _know_ I have never set foot on these grounds, I keep feeling like I've been here before. It was like coming home from being away for a long time," Yato replied, the confusion etched in his expression. "There are no memories, just a vague feeling of _deja vu_ that I can't shake." He looked from Hiyori and Yukine up the hill, that reached into the woods with a set of old stairs. "That, and something has been pulling me toward the mountain since we arrived."

"Could it be an enemy?" Yukine asked, cautious and concerned.

Yato shook his head. "It's not a _bad_ feeling at all, actually. I'm kinda curious and nervous."

"Well, then let's go, Yato," Hiyori suggested with a small smile. "Maybe the gods of this mountain will be able to tell us something."

"Okay," he replied, surrendering to her logic. "But before we do, I just want you to know that I am positive that the old woman has something she's not telling us."

"I don't know, she seemed ni-"

"Nice or not," Yato interjected gravely, "she sounded like she's _up_ to something. And it makes me nervous about the Full Moon ritual."

"Do you think she believes Hiyori can bring back Tsukuyomi?" Yukine thought aloud.

Yato grimaced, his whole body shifting uncomfortably.

"I'm willing to bet that's part of it-"

Hiyori, who had been stewing for a moment, finally launched herself back into their dialogue.

"But it won't happen!" she said resolutely.

"And how do you know that? All signs point to-"

"But I can't be bound to Tsukuyomi if I'm already bound to _you!_ "

They stood there silent, Yato processing her point as a bit of relief settled in. He felt resigned, because even _that_ fact hadn't quite quelled either of his gut feelings, good or bad.

"True," he agreed, "but still...she's hiding _something_. Even if her intention is good, it's still suspicious."

"He's right, Hiyori," Yukine said placing his hand on her coat sleeve. "Please be careful around her."

"Not only that, but if Kofuku's involvent has any influence on our bond, then there's still a reason to worry," Yato pointed out. "Her energy is chaotic."

An exasperated huff escaped her lips. Hiyori took Yato's hand and silently headed to the bottom of the steps that rose into the hilly wood.

As they ascended into the modestly evergreen forest, they reached a small clearing with a humble shrine. It's wear and tear aged itself. The trio approached and they noticed two small turtle statues, not unlike the many dispersed throughout the gardens on the main shrine grounds. Hiyori approached, clapping her hands twice before bowing her head to pay her respects to the god of the shrine.

 _"And what do we have here?"_

The voice echoed up the mountain through the riverbed to the the shrine.

" _An odd assortment of fellows, I see..."_

A breeze swirled around them as the warm contralto continued it's curious monologue.

 _"Do you see who has come to visit us, my dear?"_

Suddenly in front of the shrine, an elderly woman with long silver hair, in a green and turquoise kimono bearing a sea turtle shell upon her head appeared before them. She carried a old walking stick, gnarled and aged as she.

Her smile was peaceful as she observed them a moment before speaking.

"I was wondering if you would ever return home, Hoshiko," the goddess welcomed with a growing smile. "It seems you've _both_ finally come home to us."

Hiyori was confused a moment, but stepped forward to correct her.

"Pardon me, Nakatsushimahime-sama, but my name is _Hiyori._ Iki Hiyori," she said as she gave a deep and honorable bow.

"Iki Hiyori? Well, I must say, your spirit and your face are very much _her_ , despite the centuries."

The goddess beheld Yato and Yukine, but stared endlessly at Yato, surprise and confusion painting her features.

"And where have _you_ been? My husband and I feared you dead!"

Yato had no idea what she was talking about. He furrowed his brow, unsure of what to make of her words.

"Excuse me, hime-san, but I have never been here in my _life,_ " Yato corrected her. "You must be mistaking me for someone else."

Yukine looked between Hiyori and Yato, standing between them and the goddess.

"This is Yato, err, Yaboku, former god of calamity, now god of fortune."

The goddess eyed Yukine, then Yato, lingering for a long minute as she assessed the two intertwined beings before her.

 _Yaboku? No. This is him, without a doubt...our long-lost young lord...although he seems quite a bit younger. A reincarnation, perhaps? Anything is possible with the rulers of Takamagahara. But he is a mere shadow of himself, as if his true nature has been repressed by some dark power. But who could be responsible for such a thing?_

"Boy, there is a curse upon you. A strong, but not impermeable, one. I see the cracks..." she chuckled. Yato eyed her, doubtingly as she nodded. "Oh yes, I see them, _Yaboku_ , dear. Your regalia and your beloved priestess can help you shed your shackles."

Yato's scowl soften as he stood in fear and amazement. Like someone telling him finally that his existence wasn't his fault...and that he was right in following Yukine and Hiyori's counsel.

"Come forth, girl," she bade Hiyori. The trembling brunette knelt before the ancient goddess, who placed her hand upon her head.

"Why are you all so afraid of me?" The silver maned women asked with with resignation. "All these centuries I have known these souls...and from what I am seeing within you, there should be no fear of your future...Iki Hiyori..."

She raised her head to behold beautiful eyes of sea-green, and the crone spoke again.

"The Full Moon Rite holds all of the answers. Do not be afraid. We will be there with you all."

With a soft chuckle, she dissipated into light.

 _"Did you see them, husband? They've come home..."_

More delighted laughter trailed after the echoing voice.

[BREAK]

Nakatsushima-hime's words stuck with them the rest of the evening. Like an elephant in the room, they refrained from talking about it. It was hopeful, yet bode something deep and life-changing.

Hiyori knew, after their divine exchange, that there was nary a shred of doubt that she was the direct descendant and possible reincarnation of the fabled miko. But what left her most confounded was the goddess's reaction to Yato. Who had she assumed Yato to be? What was this curse she saw surrounding him? Would the Full Moon Rite really go as well as she claimed? Could she and Yato, and vicariously, Yukine, remain unscathed?

Masumi and Masaomi noticed how unusually pensive and quiet everyone was. And being a concerned older sibling, Masaomi had given his little sister an opportunity to speak her mind while they took care of dinner preparations for Masumi.

"Want to talk about it?" he had asked as he chopped away at some daikon radishes.

Hiyori shook her head, seemingly focused on the rice cooker in front of her.

"Maybe later?" she half-heartedly assured her brother before sighing. She finally met his gaze. "I need more time to sort out the craziness. But we'll talk later, okay?"

Masaomi paused and gave her a gentle smile and rested his now free hand on her shoulder.

"All right."

After a rather quiet dinner, which consisted mostly of Masumi attempting to distract the others from their thoughts by discussing her projects. It worked on Yato a bit, as he got to discuss art and photography on a more detailed and studious level. But once they were done eating, Hiyori stopped Masumi from cleaning up.

"So you guys need to know what happened at the shrine today. It's kind of crazy but..."

She went on to give a brief synopsis of the encounters with the priestess and the goddess. Yato and Yukine chimed in, noting details throughout her commentary.

"Let me get this straight, both a priestess and one of the oldest kami in this region pretty much declared you to be this 'Hoshiko' reincarnated?" Masaomi summarized, attempting to digest this incredible situation. Hiyori nodded and he continued. "But the priestess and the goddess both had vague and perhaps _peculiar_ reactions to Yato-kun?"

They all nodded this time. Masaomi looked from his baffled fiancée back to the trio and simply shrugged.

"Would you say that they seemed cold or ill-intentioned? I mean, the goddess, from your account, seemed happy to see you, yes?"

"Well, yes," Yato replied. "She stared at me as if she knew me, or maybe just sizing me up. Nakatsushima-hime mistook me for someone else, but didn't seem to be surprised when I corrected her."

"She also said she would be there tomorrow night at Hatsumode with her husband. I assume that's Oyamakui-sama," Hiyori added. "So even the gods are curious about tomorrow night's ritual."

"Well, _that_ would make anyone nervous, Hiyori," he replied, sympathisizing with his little sister. "But just take a deep breath, and do your best. If the gods tell you to do it, it's probably going to be okay."

"Not necessarily," Yato grumbled, "but yeah, it's just not _knowing_ that sucks."

"For what it's worth," Yukine spoke up, his tone unusually calm. "You may be completely ridiculous sometimes, and your sweaty hands suck...but..." He paused, staring at his lap a moment. "You're not a bad god, Yato. You are definitely not evil. So I really don't think anything bad's gonn-auuggh!"

Everyone watched Yato's jaw go slack with the sentimental reassurance of his hafuri. His eyes watered and then attacked the blond with a giant hug.

Yukine struggled a moment, until he heard Yato choke out, "Thank You." He simply pat the emotional deity on his head and surrender to being loved and appreciated.

Masumi nudged Masaomi, catching his attention as the trio were wrapped up in their little moment. Masaomi leaned in.

"How do I explain to my parents that they're going to give up their daughter to the gods? That their daughter may even _become_ one some day?"

Masumi shook her head.

"Absolutely no clue."

[BREAK]

Yukine had fallen asleep sprawled out on the sofa, so Hiyori and Yato retired to the guest room, much to Masaomi's protest.

"It's not even like that, Nii-chan," she argued. "It's just that I'm really freaked out right now and Yato...well..." She paused as she shuffled her feet pensively. "He makes me feel _safe._ " She blushed at her own blatant admission.

Masumi grinned.

"You're sister's the genuine article, Masa," she said, supporting Hiyori's rebuttal. "I really don't think you need to be so worried about them _._ "

Hiyori and Yato blushed a furious shade of crimson at her innuendo, which was definitely _not_ lost on them.

"N-no. No you don't," Hiyori stuttered as she took Yato by the hand and led him down the small corridor to their room.

Hiyori dug into her luggage and procured her sleepware.

"Yato turn around," she commanded bashfully. "No peeking."

The god did as he was asked, but zeroed in on the soft rustling of her garments being removed, and other ones being put on. Trying to distract himself, he took a moment to remove his track suit, still wearing his white tee shirt and boxer shorts.

"Okay, I'm all done," she replied after a minute. He turned to find her in a pair of purple cotton Relakkuma pants and matching tee. She regarded him in return.

"Aren't you going to be cold?" she said, a blush staining her cheeks.

Yato stepped up into her personal space, shaking his head. He wrapped his arms around her and buried his face in her neck.

"You'll keep me plenty warm."

Hiyori exhaled long and slow as a shiver ran down her spine. Yato's lips brushed the skin at the crook of her neck as he spoke, wiping her mind momentarily of any coherent thought. They continued to drag lazily, following the path to her jaw, right up to her ear.

He heard a small gasp escape her as his mouth paused to taste the skin there. Her fingers gripped his back slightly.

"Yato," Hiyori whispered, regaining her faculties. "If my brother catches us..."

The dejected deity sighed, reluctantly releasing her.

"You're absolutely right," he agreed, his chagrin evident in the lilt of his voice.

Before he could have a little pity party, Hiyori stepped in, closing the distance he had created. The press of warm loving lips assured him that everything was all right.

Over the months, Hiyori had become a little less bashful about personal space, cuddling and napping together, and even some random make out sessions. But Hiyori had told him a while ago that she wasn't ready for what she called "second-" and "third base." Apparently, they were sports references, but Yato knew practically nothing about baseball, nor how it applied to innuendo. All he knew is that he would be content with where their relationship was at.

Yato had been mindful of her boundaries, tending to sabotage himself with his own inexperience, despite his intense feelings. He pondered what it would be like to be intimate with her. If he were to someday take her as his bride, or even his familiar, pledging themselves to each other, then he would know. But Hiyori was absolutely _sacred_ and _precious_ to him. He would honor her in every way.

Now he channeled all of his love through his lips and embrace: Holding and protecting her, kissing her and reassuring her.

They broke apart in a lethargic haze to slip under the covers together, sleeping overnight together, in their pajamas, for the very first time. At first they spooned up together, as they usually did for a nap. But Yato found it far more difficult to relax with less fabric exacerbating their proximity. The brunette relaxed against him, her back flush against his chest and stomach. Tried as he might to calm himself, he instead found himself attempting to pull away from the perky posterior pressed against an increasingly sensitive place.

Hiyori felt him pull away.

"Yato, is everything alright? Is this making you uncomfortable?"

He could here the insecurity in her voice. She was getting the wrong idea.

"No, I'm not uncomfortable...exactly...just...thought maybe we could sleep facing each other?" he lied, trying to cover up his inner turmoil. He didn't want to lose her trust over his wandering thoughts.

She turned toward him, leaning in a for a kiss.

"That's fine with me," she sighed against his lips. "I feel like I'm in a cozy little cocoon with you. You're so...warm."

She draped her arm over his midriff and leaned in for a another kiss, taking Yato by surprise. Tongues tangled in a dance of gentle caresses. Yato let his mind slip away for a moment as one of Hiyori's hands traveled his back. Sudden there was a gentle squeeze and Yato's eyes flew open, meeting wide violet eyes.

"Hi-hiyori...you just...?"

Now questioning her actions, she shied away from his gaze.

"I'm sorry, Yato. I just...I..." She mumbled the last part so that he couldn't decipher it.

"Huh? What's wrong?"

" _Ithinkyouhaveacutebutt!"_ She squeaked out.

Floored, the god had absolutely no coherent retort except to giggle and take her into a big hug.

"No one's ever done anything like that to me before," he replied warmly into her hair. "You just took me by surprise, is all."

"Really? You don't think I'm weird?"

Yato smiled, holding her gaze. He shook he head.

"Actually, that makes me kinda happy," he admitted with a chuckle. "I'm glad you are fond of...my, umm...butt."

He blushed and cleared his throat.

"But, I thought you were afraid of getting caught...and now _this._ You're mixing signals right now...and I'm trying to not get too fired up, for both our sake."

Hiyori was taken aback. She had never realized the underlying attraction between them was so intense. It came as a sizable revelation that Yato was also experiencing the same feelings.

She suddenly felt bad for accidentally instigating their predicament.

Yato saw her gaze fall, discouraged.

"I'm sorry, Yato," she whispered. "I didn't even know I was capable of feeling like this."

Yato stroked her hair.

"Honestly, I didn't know I was capable of these feelings either," the god admitted with a blush, "...until the first time you kissed me."

"So _this_ is the kind of thing my brother is worried about, huh?" Her question was rhetorical, coming out more like a statement than an actual inquiry.

"Yeah," he confirmed, "I knew what he was talking about, but I also knew your intent was pure."

"But..." Hiyori paused, peering back up at him. "It's starting to feel... _different,_ now."

Yato hummed and kissed the crown of her head.

"Indeed it is, Hiyori," he agreed, "but I get the feeling we need to be prepared for anything tomorrow."

Hiyori inhaled, pulling him in closer, nodding against his chest.

"Whatever it is, we _have_ to stay together," she admitted softly. She snuggled into him further. "Never let go, Yato. I beg you."

The god chuckled to himself, allowing himself to take in the ever-tangled mess of red that seemed to weave around them.

"I am pretty sure fate would never allow that."

[BREAK]

After spending the earlier half of the day relaxing and enjoying the simplicity of a day all together, playing shogi, board games, cards, reading and drawing, the day settled into late afternoon and they knew it was getting close to their time of departure. Yato, Yukine and Hiyori bundled up and headed back to Arashiyama and Matsunoo Taisha.

When they arrived, they headed indoors and were greeted by young miko, who bowed surprisingly deeply to Hiyori, ushering her to the high priestess. The elder woman greeted her and dismissed the young shrine maidens.

After the shoji slid shut, she turned to Yato and Yukine.

"Please forgive my impoliteness yesterday, denizens of the far shore. I surmised that I was the only one who perceived your presence and did not wish to make a spectacle of it."

She bowed to them.

"What be you...demon, spirit, god?"

"I am the god Yato, also known as Yaboku," the blue eyed deity said, introducing himself. "This is my shinki, Yukine."

The priestess considered them a moment.

"Forgive me, but you reminded me of another, and I have never heard the name Yato-or Yaboku-before."

Yato typed it on his phone fore the old woman to see.

"So you are presumably a creature of night," she replied noticing the symbolism of his name. "What exactly is it that you do?"

Yato cleared his throat and awkwardly scratched the back of his head.

"Well, I rid the world of ayakashi. I try my best to do good for others... and I can see-and break- bonds between people."

"Ah," she responded pensively, "so you are a renderer of fate?"

"I...I guess?"

The elder miko hummed as she considered his unsure answer.

"How long have you been a god, Yaboku-sama? How many times have you reincarnated?"

Yato was shocked by the knowledge this woman possessed, and the personal nature of her inquiry. He stumbled over himself to answer honestly.

"Uh...never? And about eleven hundred years, thereabout...? Does it even matter?"

She raised a greyed brow before settling into a flat expression.

"It may...or it may not. But I would like you and your shinki to be present as our ritual. I ask that you both don these formal black hakama and haori. Hiyori-san will be clad in formal _seisou_ -much akin to that for a kagura-for the ritual."

"Why must _we_ change?" Yukine asked cautiously.

"Despite the fact that I believe her to be the reincarnation of Tsukuyomi-sama's priestess, it is obvious that she has devoted herself to another god. You and your master must be present for _her_ sake, whatever may or may not happen."

Yukine was getting fed up with her speaking so vaguely. The woman's lack of forthcomingness felt dishonest and ultimately annoying.

"'May or may not?'" Yukine shot back. "Stop beating around the bush, there's obviously something you foresee. Just come out with it, and stop withholding information."

"Young regalia, the thoughts I am keeping to myself are merely conjecture, and I wish not to influence this evening's events in anyway by sharing _wishful thinking_ ," she replied simply. "I promise that I will discuss it afterwards."

With a clap of her hands, the miko came forth throught the shoji once again and ushered them into their respective changing rooms., the young women ultimately making their way to Hiyori, whose garments would require extra helping hands.

Yato and Yukine were finished first and met the priestess back in the main chamber of the inner sanctum, dressed in their formal attire. Yukine in an all white robe and red sash, denoting his important stature, and Yato in a white robe, covered by a black outer robe, tied by a silver sash. They made him wear a kammuri, which, much to his chagrin, made him feel a little too much like a certain pompous god of knowledge.

"Why do I have to were this friggin' thing on my head," he grumbled. Just as he was a about to continue airing his grievances, the shoji opened once again and out stepped Hiyori.

She was decked out in formal seisou, red hakama and a formal white, delicately embroidered outer robe. upon her head sat a golden crown. She lifted her eyes to her beloved, who drew in a slow, deep breath has he beheld her. He knew that no matter what was about to happen, he would fight tooth and nail for this young woman. He would be hers, and she; his.

 _Not even the long lost Tsukuyomi-no-mikoto could tear her from me._

"Hiyori..." he murmured, "You look...like a _goddess._ "

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A/N: Hey everyone! The summer's been crazy and I have been sitting on this for two months...I did some editing and finished the end. Now for the BIG scene in chapter 7.

I hope this chapter was worth the wait. Everything is coming to a head...

THANKS FOR READING!

PS...still waiting for Adachitoka to feel better...this hiatus is KILLING ME.


	7. Summoning the Divine

Thanks to everyone who is following this story, as well as to those who favorited and reviewed! Feedback means the world to every author, myself included. A little suggestion, as I was inspired by a track from the ARAGOTO OST, listen to "Ordeal" as the ceremony happens. It SO sets the mood. Also, "Glorious," "Retrospect," and "Gate of Heaven" during the rest of the chapter. I have been building up to this chapter for like, half the story! ENJOY! ~DE

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There was a particular wide-eyed expression that Yato wore in rare moments. Like in the moment she first declared, in the company of gods, that she wanted to be with Yato longer and refused to let him cut their ties. Hiyori knew it well, and it always managed to warm her from the inside out. It was a rare sparkle, one of surprise, recognition, and some kind of revelation dawning. But only in _her_ direction would it take on this slight nuance that shot straight to her heart. The night he took her hands under the fireworks at Capypaland and pressed his lips to her knuckles, she nearly melted in the heat of his stare. A year ago, she couldn't have given it a name. But now, she knew full well the look of love and adoration in her immortal beloved's azure gaze.

Her faced warmed, under the curious scrutiny of others' observation as Yato's unabashed feelings for her shown on his face. Yukine blushed as she stepped toward them. Hiyori was still focused on manuevering in her adornments. The elder woman's eyes smiled slightly, recognizing the god's affections for the girl.

Hiyori smiled humbly, cheeks rosy as she approached.

"A-arigatou..." she finally replied, standing shyly before her lover. Their eyes met, delicate cherry blossoms floating upon the bluest waters.

As the god reached out and took her hand, something stirred within him. A feeling stronger that he ever knew possible. In his mind's eye he could _see_ forever. A very old shrine, his swords, and her by his side.

He noticed the sun had already set and felt an odd sense of momentary calm after feeling so anxious all day. Yato seemed to suddenly _know_ things would be all right. He didn't know why, but his anxiety had been inexplicably quelled.

"I wish to explain tonight's ritual, if you will have a seat for a moment," the priestess requested with an outstretched hand.

The trio sat in a row on the tatami floor across from the greyed woman.

"The worship of Tsukuyomi was unofficially made taboo when the emperor created the taisha as a national entity nearly two centuries ago, as Tsukuyomi had been banished from heaven by Amaterasu. There are only a few remaining shrines that openly acknowledge and revere Tsukuyomi's godhood in our modern times. We are one of them, along with the main shrine: Gassan, and another on Iki island."

Hiyori perked up at the latter fact, giving the old woman a questioning look. The woman smiled back and and continued.

"I happen to be descended, many generations back, from the Iki clan from the island known for founding the shrine to Tsukuyomi. My name is Iki Hanae," she informed with small smile. "And yes, we may very well be distantly related if your father is also a decendant of the Iki clan."

"Yoroshiku onegaishimasu, Hanae-san," Hiyori replied with a bow of her head. "It really seems that the dots are connecting. I hope this bodes well for tonight."

"Indeed," Hanae replied with a nod of her own. "Speaking of tonight, as I was saying...our ritual is not regularly performed like it should be, on every full moon. It is commonly regarded as disrespectful to the heavens to worship a god whom they've banished. It's much like those in the North who still acknowledge the emishi. But tonight, for the first time since the dawning of the millennium, we are bringing it back for the New Year."

"But why, after so long?" Hiyori asked.

"You, Hiyori-san, of all people, would understand when I tell you that the spirits have been whispering lately. There have been murmurs of the moon rising to the heavens once again. And as fate would have it, the Bride of Tsukuyomi has seemingly arrived on our doorstep. I have a feeling we will have many otherworldly guests in attendance."

Suddenly a feeling of dread came over Hiyori.

 _Who else will be here to see if their prophecy will come true? Having a human audience is scary enough...what if something happens to me, or worse, to Yato?_

Hanae seemed to dismiss the girl's nerves as she continued.

"Tonight we will be adding the reading of a old poem, possibly once a song, written for the young miko and Tsukuyomi-sama by a priestess of the time," she took a book out from behind her and opened it carefully, pointing to a particular page. "Here," she said, turning the text toward Hiyori, "Read this."

 _"Oh heavens unbound, sent thy brother away,_  
 _Never to be found, the moon gone astray._  
 _Son of night, diviner of fate,_  
 _Return to the light and receive thy mate._  
 _Red cords bind, never to be broken,_  
 _Your bride in kind, awaits the enwoven._  
 _Two destined souls, fates interwine._  
 _Bow in hand she holds and seeks the divine."_

A moment of pensive silence befell the room and they reflected on the somber plea of the miko.

"That's beautiful, yet so sad," Yukine said softly.

Hiyori and Yato hummed in agreement.

"According to shrine records, we've never made the call to Tsukuyomi before," Hanae explained. "But now, for many reasons, I feel that the time has come."

Hiyori continued to quietly come to terms with her role in the evening's rite.

"Hanae-san, what will you have me do as part of the ceremony?"

"You will be 'enthroned' in a sense, bow in hand and given the old sacred arrows kept here at the shrine." You will sit in the center of the ritual as the miko recite the poem, among other things, and present you, as well as the other offerings and prayers, to Tsukuyomi."

Hiyori has been to many a kagura dance and shrine festivals with rituals for the gods enshrined there. Never had she witnessed anything supernatural before.

 _Okay, so this is essentially like any other shrine rite, only I am acting symbolically as my ancestor. Nothing to be afraid of._

"Alright then, let me know when we need to be ready," the half-phantom replied.

As night wore on, people began to flood the shrine for Hatsumode, and the sake rituals. The priests presided over the blessings and handed out the sacred gold-flecked sake. Yato was itching to go calm his lingering nerves with a helping-or ten-of the delicious elixir. Yukine fought him back as Hiyori just shook her head. It was coming up on midnight when the priestess interrupted their banter.

"Yato-sama, fret not, as we have set aside your own vessel of sake for after the ceremony," the old miko informed him. She turned to Hiyori. "Are you ready, my dear?"

The doors opened to the crisp chill of winter night. Suddenly her robes weren't nearly enough to keep her as warm as she'd hoped. Yato put an arm around her, drawing her in to his side. Her shivering calmed down.

"I love you, Hiyori," he murmured softly aginst her ear. "I have this feeling that everything's going to be just fine. I don't know why...I just do. Something about that poem struck a chord with me, deep down."

Hiyori gave a sideways look that begged him to elaborate.

"I guess...it just kind of reminded me of us...tied by the red string...I mean, hell, my own name means 'night diviner'. It just...made my heart yearn for you...for us...so much."

With that he placed a kiss on her temple, and backed away, leaving Hiyori to ponder his words and the song's words.

The processional began slowly winding it's way through the main grounds of Matsuoo Taisha with the priests leading and a miniature shrine following. Behind the miniature shrine being carried a half dozen men, followed musicians, also dressed traditionally, playing shakuhachi and tsuzumi. The miko behind them rang their shimmering suzu as they preceded Hiyori, who sat seiza-style on a platform much like the one on which the shrine ahead of her was being ported. She rested her grandmother's bow on her lap, along with an old quiver with three old arrows. People seemed to be increasingly intrigued by this unorthodox processional, and became curious to follow and witness what may be, from what they could tell, an unusual New Year's ritual.

Yato and Yukine followed close behind Hiyori, walking ceremoniously, just in case they could be seen by anyone. Yato eyed the crowd and caught sight of Masaomi and Masumi. He nodded in acknowledgement of their presence but kept walking. Yukine nudged Yato and gestured subtly with a tilt of his head toward the tree line as they approached Tsukuyomi's shrine. There, shimmering in the shadows was the elder goddess from yesterday, and also a portly old man in green and gold robes with a long beard.

 _Oyamagui-sama._

They smiled at the procession, eyes fixed on the young half-phantom priestess and the god that followed her protectively.

As they finally arrived at the steps of the old, humble shrine, the music went silent as priests began to recite centuries-old prayers to the moon god. As offerings were laid upon the alter, Yato began feeling light-headed, fuzzy-almost as if inebriated, but different-and a little queasy. He cringed slightly under the burden of the disconerting feeling, but did his best to keep his composure, knowing how important this was to Hiyori.

 _I haven't drank anything tonight, and gods don't get sick-other than blight...what the hell is wrong with me?_

He looked up and now saw that pompous fox, Inari, had joined the two elder gods, as well as a host of curious spirits.

 _Just great. I start feeling all weird, and now that asshole shows his face. I bet he's just waiting for Tsukuyomi to show up and take Hiyori from me. Fuck him._

It was Hiyori's platform being lowered to the ground that got Yato to focus on his surroundings again. Shakuhachi and tsuzuki started once again and miko began to dance around her. The dazed god and and his hafuri backed up, allowing room for the dancers to circle between her and them. Slowly the young women, clad in red and white, began chanting, reciting the lyrical poem, one line at a time as they sounded their suzu to the slow metre of the poem.

As they finished the verse, the stray god begins to feel it:

His body is light, as if he could float away at any moment. There is a tingling sensation, almost electric, building at the nape of his neck and flooding out to his fingertips.

Hiyori sat, unmoving, with her back still to her immortal counterpart as they continued to chant, the lyrics searing her soul. Every stanza made her heart clench, as if the sadness were her own, overtaking her from some latent part of her being. A sense of longing and desperation flooded her, reminding her of when Yato disappeared for months and went to Yomi. By the third repetition, she felt herself slipping into a trance, the words leaving her own lips, her heart aching with every word. Tears slipped down her cheek as she envisioned Yato reaching for her and taking her to be with him forever as his bride. Her eyes lifted to the heavens, her whole being begging for reprieve.

Yato's connection to the present slipped away as he began to see things- people places, moments- like blurry memories of a dream: this shrine filled with people worshipping, a young girl who he almost could mistake for his beloved Hiyori, a waterfall deep in the woods of the mountainside...what seemed like a younger visages of Oyamagui and Nakatsushima. He saw Amaterasu's angry scowl, as he was subjected to the forces of Takamagahara at a large shrine at the top of a mountain...

 _Mount Gassan...wait how do I know this...why are they so familiar?_

Reality was crumbling all around him and he could here Yukine calling his name as if from very far away. Everything began fading into a pure white light- the dream-like memories, and even the ground beneath his feet, and the vision of the woman he loved being pulled from him shattered his heart. Something unidenitifiable was building in his chest, threating to burst from him.

Hiyori, lost in the incantation, felt as if she'd been swept away on a breeze into a hazy reverie. Her chest filled with warmth and sadness, as she suddenly was met with a familiar face...

 _Yato..? No, he's too old to be Yato..._

But it was _his_ face, as if Yato were seem in his forties, in dark silken robes of black, blue and purple, tied with a shimmering silver sash. His long flowing indigo tresses were topped with a regal headdress. A golden sword rested, sheathed at his hip.

 _But those are his EYES._

The glittering aquamarine gazed that smiled down at her as a gentle hand touched her face. She knew that look.

In a flash, she felt herself being dragged away against her will. Then she heard the voice she knew so well.

 _"Hoshiko!"_

In desperation, she cried out, "Tsukuyomi-sama!"

As soon as the call left their lips aloud, Hiyori snapped out of her trance, and turned around to find her Yato, floating above the ground, spirals of light swirling around him.

The crowd gasped and began to retreat cautiously, their curiosity keeping many from merely running away.

Hiyori watched as something sparkled and burst away from Yato's body like glittering stardust, dissipating as his eyes opened.

Slowly he descended to the ground before her, the light fading away in ethereal wisps. His hair, now somehow considerably longer, and his garments now the ones she had seen in her vision.

She instantly recalled when that young girl, who she now knew to be Amaterasu, had advised her to call Yato 'by his real name'. At the time Hiyori just assumed it was Yaboku.

 _But that's why that name didn't make him happy...because his real name is..._

"Tsukuyomi?" The brunette breathed. "Yato...y-you're...?"

"Hiyori," he choked out as he ran to her and gathered her into his arms, holding Hiyori desperately close. "I saw memories...of the past...me. I even saw 'past you' and things that happened...it hurt... _so_ much," he gasped, clinging to her. "But, it all makes sense. The red string, not wanting to be a god of calamity, my true nature...and _us."_

Hiyori hugged him back rubbing gently along his spine, with no cares as to the crowd watching them. The chaos surrounding them insulated their conversation. After a long moment, Yato began to calm down under her touch.

"Can I still call you Yato?" Hiyori asked tearfully as she buried her face in his neck. "Even if you _are_ Tsukuyomi, you are still Yato to me."

"I wouldn't have it any other way," he murmured, pulling back slightly to kiss her softly.

Yukine came running up to them, while the lingering crowd stood aghast at what they just witnessed.

"Guys...are you _okay_? What the hell just happened?" the blonde asked frantically.

Yato grinned at him, letting go of Hiyori and wiping the last of his tears away.

"Yukine, you may have upgraded last year to Hafuri status, but tonight I upgraded my god status," he chuckled placing his hand on his chest proudly.

"Wait are you saying that you..."

"Yup! Apparently, I am the reincarnation of Tsukuyomi. I'd say that's a pretty good upgrade. I have a lot of shrines all of a sudden-including one on top of a mountain!"

Yukine just looked at him, then Hiyori, then lastly all around at the flabbergasted onlookers.

"Waitwait _wait..._ I need a minute to let this soak in. You just went from being a _hobo_ to one of the _biggest_ gods in the pantheon. What. The. _FUCK."_ Yukine raked his hand through his hair and just started laughing.

"Yukine...what's so-"

The blue-eyed god was silenced by his guidepost, who threw is arms around him, continuing in hysterics for a minute before he was finally able to speak.

"I'm so glad I learned to trust in you, and in my gut feelings," he said, calming down. "Congrats, Yato. You deserve it. You've worked hard to better yourself. You're a good god. And apparently you're a big shot..." The young blond eyed him with a raised brow and smirked. "But don't let it get to your head!"

Yukine sucker punched his arm with another laugh.

Finally they all acknowledged the crowd around them. The priestess Hanae shuffled up to them.

"Do you want to know what my 'wishful thinking' was? My little secret conjecture?" she teased with her usual Mona Lisa smile.

"How on earth did you even come to the conclusion that I could be the long-lost moon god?" Yato asked incredulously.

"In my early days studying to be the head priestess, I read some of the old accounts that described Tsukuyomi: His youthful appearance, long hair the color of the night sky, and eyes like the ocean," she explained, gesturing toward his own features before resting the hand on his arm in a comforting, motherly way. "That's why I asked about how old you were. Because Tsukuyomi disappeared about eleven hundred years ago." She pat his arm, then turned and addressed Hiyori. "The last bit of suspicion came when you asked about being tied to someone else. After observing the two of you, knowing he was a god and you, quite possibly the reincarnated miko-"

"Hoshiko," Hiyori interjected. "Her name was Hoshiko. Nakatsushima-hime thought I was her, too."

Hanae gave pause, surprise flashing in her eyes.

"So you met her? I haven't seen her in years," Hanae asked, seemingly relieved.

"Nn, she and Oyamagui-sama are here somewhere," Yato confirmed. "We saw them earlier."

Hanae just stared in disbelief.

"I thank the kami for honoring me with the opportunity to help you, Tsukuyomi-sama," she said as she collected herself and bowed deeply. "All my years, I never expected to be able to witness such a blessed and historic event," she added, holding back tears of gratitude.

Yato chuckled nervously, as he realized that from now on he was going to be treated differently and have far more responsibilities than he ever imagined.

"Here, I told you that there would be sake later for Hatsumode!" She gave him a smile as she held up a modestly-sized ceramic jug. The New Year's sake she had promised. "I will take my leave now, let's speak again soon."

They thanked her politely, and turned to look for the elder gods, but they were gone.

Their names rang out behind them, and when they turned they found Masaomi and Masumi running toward them.

They went for a walk and talked, giving the mortal pair the lowdown of what happened. Unsurprisingly, they were shocked.

Masaomi laughed awkwardly, "Go big or go home, eh? But I can't believe that I'm the presence of a legend...and that my sister is to be that legend's _bride_...There are no words." The older Iki raked a hand through his brown hair, shaking his head in disbelief. "I said it before but I'll say it again: What are mom and dad going to say?"

Passersby gawked and stared at the deity and his miko. Masumi had overheard things in the chaos of tonight's spectacle, and it gave her a few concerns.

"Honestly, Masa, Hiyo-chan, your parents are the least of your concerns. What is and will be spreading all over social media and the news will be your biggest problem. There are people who are thrilled, praising the return of Tsukuyomi. The worshippers are villified, that's for sure. _However,_ the naysayers are already referring to it as a 'stunt', or a 'magic show.' I'm sure they will try to discredit the whole thing. And others are trying to find out just exactly who you are, Hiyori. Either way, your privacy is compromised," Masumi ranted on like a parent or perhaps, big sister.

"She's got a big deal boyfriend, you know," Yato said in cocky jest. "Who's going to mess with one of the eldest gods in Takamagahara?"

"Don't you mean fiancée? She is technically your betrothed, isn't she?" Masumi eyed them slyly.

Hiyori clammed up, her cheeks flush with the realization that no matter how long she delayed it, her and Yato-or rather, Tsukuyomi-were eternally bound, and destined to be wed. There was so much that needed to be addressed now, and wasn't quite sure how to handle it all.

Yato blushed, knowing that Hiyori felt the same awkward romantic feelings that hadn't completely matured into more carnal tendancies. "That may be true, but, we are new versions of old souls. We understand what draws us together and will do it on our time...as much as fate allows, anyway. I want Hiyori to be happy."

"I hate to break it to you, but we have even bigger fish to fry," Yukine stated. "Whether people believe or not, Heaven will inevitably get word of Tsukuyomi's awakening, and Hiyori's connection to him. I mean, you're not just some nameless god anymore and the half-phantom who follows him around."

It dawned on Hiyori, that Amaterasu was the one to urge her to speak his 'true name'.

"She has to have known this entire time," she said.

The other four gave her a confused look.

"Amaterasu," she replied. "She was was the one- I am almost positive of it- during the Ebisu ordeal, to tell me to use your _'real name'_ to call your your soul from Yomi, and said that it would make you happy. I called for "Yaboku" of course, after figuring out the kanji. But _that_ didn't make you _happy_. You _hate_ that name and the stigma it carries. But it makes sense now...that having me call you 'Tsukuyomi' is what would bring _true_ happiness," she paused. "Why would she encourage that if she was mad enough to banish you?"

"I guess I will have to take that up with her in the near future," Yato replied. "But I would like to speak with Oyamagui and Nakatsushima before anything else. I feel they may have some insight."

"Yukine, Hiyori, let's head up the mountain and find those two...and have a _drink_ , damn it," he snorted sarcastically. "I think I deserve it."

They bid their family adieu with the assurance that they wouldn't be too far behind.

They slipped away from the lingering crowds and headed up the path to Nakatsushima-hime's shrine. They found the two old gods waiting for them with bright smiles.

"Welcome home, boy!" The jolly, buddha-like god exclaimed, opening his arms to Yato like a long-lost son. Yato, now able to acknowledge that he knew both of these deities for centuries, smiled and allowed the god to embrace him.

"Thank you, Oyamagui-san," the newly reacquainted moon god replied. "It's comforting to know we have you both on our side."

"Nonsense! You were like a son to me, all those years we shared this sacred place..."

The elder god's brow furrowed as he took in the sight of him, tilting his head to the side.

"How have you been living all these centuries? Do you remember what happened to you?" the bearded man asked in concern.

"It's a bit hazy. And I'm kinda surprised I have _any_ memories from my last incarnation. I don't think that's normal...But, from what I can piece together, I believe I was _forced_ to reincarnate. Not quite sure why, though, it could have something to do with Hoshiko," Yato explained. With a long sigh, he thought about the lie he lived for over a millennium, and pondering what 'Father' had done to him and how he managed to suppress his true nature all those years.

"My first memory since then was when the man I assumed was my father named me Yaboku. It was a full moon and we were looking at the stars. One fell, and streaked through the sky, and Father held me up and gave me the name Yaboku. From then on he trained me to be a killer- god of calamity-and hid the truth of who I actually am."

Yato's face fell, ashamed at all of the lives he had taken.

"It was all a game at first, until he shattered my innocence, teaching me some hard lessons and trying to break my spirit," he said somberly. "Since then he's had me on a leash, hanging what he called my 'lifeline' over my head...Tch...it was all lies to keep me chained to him and his schemes against the heavens."

Hiyori and Yukine stood close to his sides, giving him emotional support. Hiyori rubbed his arm gently.

"But now that's all in the past, Yato. Now that you know that you don't need him, you can be free of him," she pointed out with gentle optimism. "He may still try to come after you, but we now know what your true power is. You can beat him and not be concerned for your own life."

"Actually, my dear Tsukuyomi," Nakatsushima spoke up, "I'm rather curious as to who this man could be who calls himself your father." She frowned, deep in thought. "He would have to be someone as powerful as you- maybe more so _._ And the only god I could think of who could possibly subjugate you like he had, is none other than your _actual_ father, Izanagi."

"What?" Yato gasped. "But why would he-?"

"Well, considering the state of things: his wife-your mother-is confined to Yomi, cursed for eternity. After you and your siblings were born, he simply gave you free reign over the heavens and earth, leaving the responsibilities to all of his offspring. He seems to have simply disappeared," the silvery goddess recounted sadly. "If you think about it, many of the gods of the land are brothers and sisters. Progeny of the great creators. Tears, breaths, births, and the like-even the emishi- _we_ are the gods who have been around for thousands of years, who have seen the dawn of man and their evolution. You, my dear, are counted among us."

The motherly deity smiled forlornly at her reincarnated friend. The mountain god continued explaining on his wife's behalf.

"Amaterasu took over after you two had your fight, and you kept to yourself for a while, agreeing to stick to your own 'sides of the fence', if you will. But after the ordeal with Hoshiko, when her highness found out that you had fallen in love and promised yourself to a mortal...well, let's say 'insulted' would be a tame word. That's why the subjugation force hit you with everything they had."

"Would it be possible that Izanagi knew where to find you wherever you reincarnated and decided to try to keep you from rejoining the pantheon of Takamagahara?" Yukine asked.

"But _why_ would he do that?" Yato reiterated.

"Bitter, perhaps? You'd have to ask him yourself," the old man shrugged. "It's all just...thoughts...I have no proof, just wise guesses."

"I don't know if heaven will welcome me back so eagerly, but...I really don't trust the man I called 'Father' for a millennium. He brings death and destruction to everyone and everything he or I touched," the blue-eyed god said resolutely. "I have better chances going before Amaterasu and asking for forgiveness."

"We should go see Bishamon, Tenjin and Kofuku before we do that," Hiyori interjected. "When we get back to Tokyo, which we should do at least briefly. I know there are other things we're going to need to take care of quickly."

"It's a lot, Yato," Yukine added, noticing his master suddenly looking a little overwhelmed. "But one thing at a time and we can get all of this sorted out."

They all heaved a collective sigh.

"I'm ready for a drink of this kinpaku sake, who's in?" Yato declared holding up the hand-painted vessel.

"Speaking of sake...I think you are overdue-by about eleven hundred years- for a certain _ceremony,_ don't you think?" The robust god pat Yato on his back, giving him a wink.

With a wave of her hand, Nakatsushima summoned three traditional sakazuki and set them on the altar of the little shrine.

Hiyori's eyes went wide as she realized what the three saucer-like cups were for.

"With all due respect, Nakatsushima-hime, I am only sixteen. If I come home _married..._ I can't-"

The goddess tittered behind the flowing silk of her sleeve.

"My dear, this is the spiritual consummation of your relationship. It has no weight in the physical realm or laws of men, but means everything in the sight of the kami. The _sansankudo_ is the symbol of the kind of commitment your past selves made over a millennium ago, but were unable to manifest. You have already spent considerable time in this incarnation irrevocably attached to each other. Here and now, witnessed by the gods of the land, your soul, already tied by fate to your god, would be offically bound. Honored and upheld by the heavens and earth, all living and spirit beings shall bear witness to the unbreakable bond of your souls to each other. It is simply an affirmation that prevents you from ever losing or forgetting the other again. Isn't that what you truly want?"

Hiyori and Yato looked to each other, his hand gently taking hers as hope sparkled in his expectant gaze. In that moment they saw their pasts and their futures together. They recognized the longing in their hearts as the power of the promise between two souls, with their fates so intertwined it was impossible to see one without the other. In this life, she may still be young and inexperienced in the ways of life and love, but she knew she'd never truly know them without him. The feeling she had manifested into words on multiple occasions came back to her.

 _"I want to be with you longer!"_

 _"I keep my promises...I will never forget you!"_

Her place was undoubtedly by his side.

"Yes," she finally replied with a calm conviction. "Yes it is."

Yukine helped the aging immortals prepare the ceremony, and stepped to the side to stand witness, opposite the sea goddess.

Oyamagui began to speak as he placed the stack of saucers before them.

"As the keeper of this mountain and the lands surrounding, I call to unite these to souls in the eyes of Takamagahara. To all beings present, denizens of both realms, I ask you to bear witness as Tsukuyomi-no-mikoto, child of the creators and keeper of time, takes his bride, Iki Hiyori, spirit of Hoshiko and this god's betrothed...to share their past, present and infinite future."

He poured three small splashes into the smallest of the sakazuki and handed it to Hiyori. Bowing as she took the cup, she took three small sips and drank the sake from it. The mountain god repeated the action for Yato. Each cup: three pours, a bow, three sips and passed to the other. After the youthful god finished his portion from the largest, final sakazuki, they both bowed to Oyamagui before facing each other.

"As it is in the laws of the Heavens, this sacred act is a binding contract, eternal, between souls, that not even Takamagahara itself can rend asunder. May your love and partnership bring you strength and joy for centuries and lifetimes to come."

The couple, overwhelmed by everything that had transpired, emotional and life-changing, turned to each other and tried to let the moment soak in. There was a sense of contentment that ran deep in their veins.

"I think 'past us' are happy now," Hiyori said with a shy smile, basking in the joy she found in her lover's gaze.

"I'm sure...hell... 'present us' are ecstatic, too," Yato replied with a chuckle.

He leaned in and the blushing bride met him in the middle, savoring a soft kiss, that lingered for a mere moment.

Hiyori's chest warmed, suddenly less worried about what they had just done. She concurred with a hum, and her smile brightened with the knowledge that they'd never be parted again banishing the shadows of doubt once and for all.

"You did the right thing today," Nakatsushima-hime encouraged. "It's a new chapter. Write a beautiful story, my children. If you ever need us, we will be here for you. May we meet again soon."

They bid the ancient couple adieu with deep bows of gratitude.

It was well into the night, and Yato decide to carry Yukine in his blade form sheathed and Hiyori, bridal style, also making sure to bring along the rest of the _kinpaku sake_ , as they made quick work of leaping over buildings across town and back to Masaomi and Masumi.

The two of them were up and waiting for the trio, sipping on hot wine and watching New Year's newscasts from around the world.

Masumi grabbed them all celebratory servings of hot wine to ring in the new year. As she returned from the kitchen, smiling, she asked, "So did you find who you were looking for?"

The trio looked from the artist and the eldest Iki sibling back to each other.

Yukine cleared his throat and answered her.

"Uhh, you _might_ want to sit down for this..."

It was quiet for a moment before Hiyori took it upon herself to address her brother, who would surely have mixed feelings about everything she was about to divulge.

"We went up the mountain and met with Oyamagui-sama and Nakatsushima-hime, who were able to help us figure a few things out about the past, and what first steps we need to take now..." the blushing young lady held her breath a moment contemplating how to say what came next while the older couple merely stared at her expectantly, since it was obvious that there was more forthcoming.

"They...we...Oyamagui-sama... _heperformedthesansankudoforus..._ "

Although she spat it out quickly, it was not lost on them.

"Wait... _what?_ " Masaomi said with a wide-eyed blink, his eye brow raised so high they threatened his hairline. "Did you say 'sansankudo'? As in, the mountain god... _married_ you?"

Masaomi seemed less angry and more panicked than anything else, spluttering as he tried to find more words. Hiyori, Yato and Yukine all gestured at him, effectively halting whatever rant was about to ensue.

"It's not quite what you think, Onii-chan," Hiyori insisted, looking to Yato for him to further explain.

"Masaomi-san," he began carefully, "the san san kudo is a spiritual affirmation in the eyes of the kami. What we did was ensure that what happened to past me and Hoshiko never happens again. Perhaps in the eyes of the heavens... _yes,_ we're married. But not in the physical or legal way the human world views marriage. It's the ultimate spiritual bond of... _soulmates_."

"Quite literally," Yukine chimed in. "But you guys were already tied and found each other despite having no clue."

"It just took over a _millennium_ ," Yato said nonchalantly with an dramatic wave of his hand. "But now Hiyori's soul will be by my side always, beyond the physical realm, probably as something like a familiar-which has come up before-or even possibly a goddess...depending on how people view what happened tonight. If Hiyori garners worshipers of her own, there is no reason why her spirit couldn't be deified, like Sugawara no Michizane became Tenjin-sama. But cases like this are rare, so there's no telling what will actually happen."

"I hadn't even _thought_ of that," Hiyori said, seemingly a bit far off in thought. "Many people worship kami that are fabled to be husband and wife, even more with local kami, land gods and such..."

The trio broke out of their insular moment of dialogue to find two stunned adults simply trying to comprehend what they were hearing.

"That's it, we're getting you guys back, like _tomorrow,_ " Masaomi stated firmly, adjusting his glasses. "And we're going with you, to verify everything we saw. We need to make introductions and break the news to mom and dad before things get _any_ crazier. It's bad enough that this has been going on for a year, and they've had absolutely no clue."

"I can see it now," Yukine said with a snort of amusement and a grand gesture, "Mom, Dad, meet my husband...the _moon god_. We're both reincarnations of ancient lovers tied by the red string of fate. I'm off to be a goddess now! _KAY'THANKS'BYEEEEEE (don't forget to pray to meeee)!"_

The blond laughed at his own ludicrous rendition before his sudden deadpan:

"Tch, yeah, that'll go over _real_ well."

"But my brother is right, Yukine, before things escalate, mom and dad need to know what's going on, as unbelievable as it may seem. From me meeting Yato, our fates tied, they need to know that Grandma's story about our lineage was _completely true_ and that I am the living proof of it all," Hiyori concurred exasperatedly.

"For all we know, your parents, friends, or other people we know have already seen things on T.V. or the internet...it has been what, three hours since that all went down? That's enough time for something to go viral," Yato contemplated aloud.

"Okay guys, listen," Masumi chimed in, "pack your things and then let's try to get some sleep. We're heading back to Tokyo in the morning."

Despite it being so late, and everyone being so exhausted, tensions were high and sleep was indeed going to be difficult to come by.

For after tonight, there was entirely too much at stake.


End file.
